Greater Noida, Nov 17 (NationPress) Pawan Bartwal (55kg) from India delivered the most shocking result of the tournament thus far by decisively defeating the second seed and World Cup gold medallist Altynbek Nursultan of Kazakhstan with a remarkable 5:0 scoreline, earning his first international medal at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik sports complex on Monday. This outstanding performance was part of another impressive day for India, as both Sumit (75kg) and Naveen (90kg) also achieved convincing victories, boosting the host nation's medal tally to seven guaranteed medals.

For Pawan, this moment was 15 years in the making. Beginning his boxing journey in the 2010s and steadily climbing the ranks, he made a spectacular entrance onto the world stage. Supported by an enthusiastic home crowd, he showcased remarkable defensive skills, adept tempo management, and outstanding endurance, consistently pushing Nursultan—who is the second seed in this weight class—against the ropes while finding clean scoring opportunities. Pawan’s composed and strategic performance marked one of India's most significant victories in the early rounds of this prestigious eight-contender global event.

“Nursultan is a skilled boxer; he was a champion at the World Boxing Cup in Brazil this year. I felt nervous at the start, but since this tournament is happening in our country and in front of our fans, it filled me with confidence. This tournament is highly significant in my career. This is my first international medal, and I’m incredibly proud,” Pawan expressed following his match.

Following Pawan’s triumph, Sumit mirrored his success with an equally convincing 5:0 victory against Korea’s Kim Hyeon-tae in the quarterfinals of the 75kg category. A precise punch to the face early in the bout established a dominant tone for a relentless performance—aggression paired with tactical strategy. He maintained pressure throughout, controlling the exchanges and forcing Kim into a defensive stance as the decision became inevitable.

Naveen, a Strandja 2024 medallist, rounded off the trio of victories with a poised and intelligent display against Kazakhstan’s Bekzat Tangatar. Utilizing his height and reach effectively, he kept Tangatar at bay while delivering accurate scoring punches from a distance. After a closely contested initial round, Naveen's performance intensified as the bout progressed, employing swift movement and disciplined footwork to secure another unanimous victory for India.

In other results from the session, Taiwan's Olympic medallist Wu Shih-Yi delivered a standout performance by dominating Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova 5:0 in the women’s 57kg category. In the men’s 55kg and 75kg divisions, Uzbekistan’s Samandar Olimov, England’s Ellis Trowbridge, and Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Abdurakhimov progressed, while Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Poland also achieved important victories during the afternoon session.

The upcoming Session 3, scheduled for later this evening, will feature two of India’s highly anticipated matches. Jadumani Singh (50kg), a World Boxing Cup Brazil 2025 medallist, will face off against Kazakhstan’s Ongarov Nurzat, a rapidly emerging competitor on the international stage. The highlight of the day will involve Hitesh (70kg) going head-to-head with top seed Sewon Okazawa, a medallist from the 2022 Asian Games, making this a must-watch clash in the opening rounds.