Did Lovlina and Pooja Secure First-Round Byes at the World Boxing Championships 2025?

Liverpool, Sep 4 (NationPress) The Indian team for the World Boxing Championships, commencing in Liverpool, UK, this Thursday, has received a favorable draw. Medal hopefuls Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70kg), Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg), Nikhat Zareen (women’s 51kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (women’s 70kg) will avoid challenging opponents in the early rounds of the competition.

While Gulia, Jamwal, and Lovlina will enjoy a bye in the opening round, Nikhat Zareen is set to face Jennifer Lozana from the USA.

The 20-member Indian squad is determined to deliver a strong showing at the inaugural global event organized by the newly established World Boxing governing body. Their prospects have been significantly enhanced by the return of Nikhat and Lovlina, both notable figures, with Nikhat being a former world champion and Lovlina a bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics.

Despite not participating in any international competitions this year, both athletes have displayed exceptional performance domestically, excelling in trials.

Indian boxers have already made their mark in the World Boxing Cup events held in Brazil and Kazakhstan, amassing a total of 17 medals, including four golds.

This year’s championships will be historic, featuring both men's and women's competitions simultaneously, with over 544 boxers from 68 nations competing across 20 weight classes.

Among other Indian medal contenders, Sakshi (women’s 54kg) will kick off her campaign against Viktoriia Shkeul from Ukraine, while Jaismine Lamboria (women’s 57kg) faces a challenging second-round bout against Brazil’s rising star Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu if she advances past Daria-Olha Hutarina from Ukraine.

Jaismine triumphed over Romeu in the final of the World Boxing Cup in Astana and is likely to feel confident about replicating that success in Liverpool.

Both Hitesh and Abhinash have been strategically placed in different halves of the draw from their closest competitors, Kainan Oliveira and Yuri Falcao (both from Brazil), setting them up as favorites to reach the finals in their respective categories.

Four Indian boxers will compete on the inaugural day of the event. Pawan Bartwal (men’s 55kg) will start India’s journey against Brazil’s Michael Douglas Trindade, with Sakshi, veteran Sanamacha Chanu (women’s 70kg), and Harsh Choudhary (men’s 90kg) scheduled for the evening session.

First round matchups for Indian players:

Women’s

48kg – Meenakshi Hooda vs bye

51kg – Nikhat Zareen vs Jennifer Lozana (USA)

54kg – Sakshi vs Viktoriia Shkeul (UKR)

57kg – Jaismine Lamboria vs Daria-Olha Hutarina (UKR), next round against Brazilian Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu

60kg – Sanju Khatri vs Aneta Rygielska (POL)

65kg – Neeraj Phogat vs Krista Kovalainen (FIN)

70kg – Sanamacha Chanu vs Ditte Frostholm (DEN)

75kg – Lovlina Borgohain vs bye

80kg – Pooja Rani vs bye

80+kg – Nupur Sheoran vs bye

Men’s

50kg – Jadumani Singh Mandengbam vs bye

55kg – Pawan Bartwal vs Michael Douglas Da Silva Trindade

60kg – Sachin Siwach Jr vs bye

65kg – Abhinash Jamwal vs bye

70kg – Hitesh Gulia vs bye

75kg – Sumit Kundu vs Mohammad Alhussien (JOR)

80kg – Lakshya Chahar vs bye

85kg – Jugnoo Ahlawat vs bye

90kg – Harsh Chaudhary vs Adam Tutak (POL)

90+kg – Narender Berwal vs Martin McDonagh (IRL)