Greater Noida, Nov 18 (NationPress) Preeti Pawar (54kg) achieved a stunning upset at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 by defeating the Tokyo Olympics medalist and three-time World Champion Huang Hsiao-Wen from Chinese Taipei in a bid for the gold medal on Tuesday.

Leading the charge, eight Indian boxers, including Arundhati Choudhary, Minakshi Hooda, Abhinash Jamwal, Ankush Phangal, Nupur Sheoran, Narender Berwal, and Parveen, secured their spots in the finals held at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex.

From the very beginning, Preeti set the stage, narrowly winning the first round with effective counterpunches before showcasing her dominance in the second. The 22-year-old skillfully neutralized Huang's attempts to find her rhythm, cutting off angles and preventing the former world champion from gaining momentum. A powerful one-two combination late in the third round affirmed Preeti's control and clinched a victory that marks a pivotal moment in her career.

“I knew she (Huang) was a world champion, but to become a World Champion, you must defeat a World Champion. That was my mindset going into the bout: to give my best tonight, my 100%, and win in front of the home crowd. The last bout boosted my confidence, and I came here today ready to give my all,” a delighted Preeti expressed after her victory.

Arundhati showcased one of the tournament's most commanding performances, defeating Germany’s Leonie Müller—a medallist at all three stages of the 2025 World Boxing Cup—by RSC. After a 1.5-year hiatus, Arundhati, a former Youth World Champion and Strandja medalist, displayed no signs of rust. She dominated both opening rounds with aggressive tactics, knocking the German contender down once in the second and again in the third to secure a decisive win and a place in the finals.

The reigning world champion Minakshi (48kg) continued her stellar performance with a flawless 5:0 victory over Korea’s Bak Cho-rong. She fought with remarkable energy, maintaining a solid defensive stance while delivering precise punches that earned her a clear win in all three rounds. Following suit, dual World Boxing Cup medalist Abhinash (65kg) kicked off his campaign with a dominant victory over Ukraine’s Elvin Aliiev. Narender (90+kg) also made it to the finals following a powerful display against Kazakhstan's Daniyal Saparbay, marked by his physicality and presence in the ring.

Ankush (80kg) added another impressive 5:0 victory, overpowering Australia’s Marlon Sevehon with his fast pace and relentless pressure, while Nupur (80+kg) kept the momentum going for India by outboxing Ukraine’s Mariia Lovchynska with consistent dominance from the start to the end. Parveen (60kg) delivered one of the day's major upsets, narrowly defeating Poland’s World Boxing Cup silver medalist Rygielska Aneta Elżbieta in a close 3:2 decision, demonstrating excellent ring management during critical moments.

Saweety Boora (75kg) was eliminated from the tournament following a loss to Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree, while Naveen concluded his journey with a bronze medal.

On Day 4, nine Indian competitors will be in action, featuring two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) against Uzbekistan’s Gulsevar Ganieva and reigning World Champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) facing Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek. Other contenders include Neeraj Phogat (65kg), Jadumani Singh (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Sachin (60kg), Sumit (75kg), and Hitesh (70kg), all striving to secure their places in the finals.