World Boxing Championships: Jaismine Lamboria One Victory…

Jaismine Lamboria, a representative of Bhiwani’s boxing tradition, has made her mark in the women’s 57kg quarterfinals at the World Boxing Championships currently taking place in Liverpool. The 24-year-old dominated her pre-quarterfinal bout against two-time Olympian Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu from Brazil, earning a unanimous 5-0 verdict and becoming a rising star in India’s women’s boxing scene. With this result, Lamboria is just one victory away from claiming a medal at a major sporting event.

Lamboria started off strong, showcasing superior footwork and accurate jabs. In the first round, she executed clean combinations and dodged Romeu’s powerful punches. She continued her power play in the second round by expertly blending feints with sharp counterattacks. Romeu tried to narrow the gap with hooks and uppercuts, but Lamboria’s defensive skills were evident, allowing her to control the pace and score points.

By the third and final round, Lamboria’s confidence was evident as she launched a flurry of body shots and head strikes, overwhelming her opponent. The match ended with a unanimous 5-0 decision in favor of Lamboria. In the quarterfinals, she will face Uzbekistan’s Asian U22 champion, Khumorabonu Mamajonova.

Lamboria’s journey to Liverpool began in Bhiwani city, Haryana, also known as India’s “boxing nursery.” However, her first inheritance was not boxing but the values of discipline and grit from her grandfather, Captain Chander Bhan Lamboria, who was a wrestler. Her uncles, Sandeep Singh and Parvinder Singh, also national boxing champions, identified her early interest in boxing and mentored her.

Despite facing challenges such as being weakened by Covid-19 just months before the Asian Championships in 2021, Lamboria managed to rehabilitate and train intensely to return to fitness before making her continental debut.

Meanwhile, in the men’s 65kg category, World Boxing Cup silver medallist Abhinash Jamwal defeated Mexico’s Hugo Barron in a round-of-32 match with a 5-0 win. However, there were also disappointments for India with losses by Neeraj Phogat, Sakshi Chaudhary, and Sanamacha Chanu in their respective weight classes.