World Boxing Championships: India’s First Medal Clinched by…

Nupur Sheoran has secured India’s first medal at the ongoing World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. This was a significant achievement for both Nupur and Indian boxing, given that medals in the super heavyweight division are seldom won on a global stage. Nupur overcame Uzbekistan’s Oltinoy Sotimboeva in a scrappy quarterfinal match in the women’s +80kg category, guaranteeing India at least a bronze medal.

In the upcoming semi-finals, Nupur will go head-to-head with Seyma Duztas of Turkey and has a strong chance of advancing to the final. Notably, just a few months ago, Nupur secured a decisive win over Seyma at the World Boxing Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan.

However, the super heavyweight category does not feature in the Olympics, which means Nupur will have to drop to the 75kg division if she hopes to compete in the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

The quarterfinals did not prove to be particularly classic, with Sotimboeva attempting to unsettle the taller Nupur, resulting in an untidy match. Nupur ultimately won 4-1 in a split decision after three chaotic rounds where both athletes received deductions for penalty points.

Other notable developments in the tournament included the defeat of two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the women’s 51kg quarterfinals, against Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu. Several other boxers advanced to the last-8 across weight divisions, including Minakshi Hooda, Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, and Abhinash Jamwal, while Jugnoo Ahlawat’s campaign ended in the men’s 85kg division pre-quarterfinals.

The win by Nupur carries with it an additional significance as she is the granddaughter of Captain Hawa Singh, an iconic figure in Indian boxing who won consecutive Asian Games gold medals in 1966 and 1970. Nupur has grown up hearing about her grandfather’s dominance in the ring. These stories, recounted by her parents, former international boxer father Sanjay Singh and Asian basketball medalist mother Mukesh, have deeply influenced her.