India Assure Six Medals at World Boxing Cup China 2026 as Jyoti, Minakshi, Prachi and Deepak Storm into Finals
India continued its impressive run at the World Boxing Cup 2026 in Guiyang, China, with four boxers booking their places in the finals and two more securing bronze medals after the semi-final stage. The performances ensure that the Indian contingent will return home with at least six medals, underlining the country's growing strength in international boxing.
Leading the charge are Jyoti (48kg), Minakshi Hooda (51kg), Prachi (57kg), and Deepak Poonia (70kg), all of whom produced commanding displays to advance to the gold medal bouts. Meanwhile, Jugnoo (85kg) and Nikhil (55kg) concluded their campaigns with bronze medals after semifinal defeats.
The strong showing has once again highlighted India's depth across both the men's and women's divisions as the nation continues to establish itself among the leading boxing powers in the world.
Jyoti delivered one of India's standout performances of the day by edging Mexico's Fatima Herrera in a closely contested 3-2 split decision in the women's 48kg category.
The victory carried added significance given Herrera's recent rise after moving into the 48kg division and claiming a historic silver medal at the World Boxing Cup in Brazil earlier this year. Jyoti displayed composure and tactical discipline throughout the bout, doing enough in the eyes of the judges to secure her place in the championship match.
She will now face Uzbekistan's Farzona Fozilova in the final as she aims to convert her impressive run into a gold medal.
World champion Minakshi Hooda once again demonstrated why she is regarded among the finest boxers in her division with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Spain's Laura Fuertes Fernández in the women's 51kg semifinal.
Having moved up from 48kg, where she previously held the World No. 1 ranking, Minakshi has adapted seamlessly to the new weight category. Against the experienced Spaniard, she controlled the pace of the contest with sharp combinations and disciplined defence to secure a comfortable victory.
A much sterner challenge awaits in the final, where she will take on reigning Olympic champion Wu Yu of China, setting up one of the marquee bouts of the tournament.
Prachi maintained her excellent form by defeating France's Amina Zidani 4-1 in the women's 57kg semifinal. The Indian boxer entered the contest full of confidence after eliminating a Paris Olympic bronze medallist in the quarterfinals, and she once again produced a composed display to earn a unanimous progression to the title bout.
Her movement, counterattacking ability and ring awareness proved decisive against Zidani, allowing her to dictate the contest for large spells.
Prachi will now face Nigina Uktamova of Uzbekistan in the gold medal match, with another opportunity to add a major international title to her résumé.
In the men's competition, Deepak Poonia continued India's medal surge with a clinical performance against France's Makan Traoré. The Indian boxer secured a comprehensive 5-0 unanimous decision victory, showcasing technical superiority and composure throughout the contest. From the opening round, Deepak controlled the exchanges and consistently landed cleaner punches to convince all five judges.
His reward is a place in the 70kg final against Kazakhstan's Ablaikhan Zhussupov, a highly decorated boxer and four-time World Championships medallist. The clash promises to be one of the toughest tests of Deepak's career but also presents an opportunity to claim one of India's biggest victories of the competition.
While four Indians progressed to the finals, Jugnoo and Nikhil concluded their campaigns with bronze medals after reaching the semifinals. Jugnoo suffered a 0-5 defeat against France's Junior Tadah in the men's 85kg division. Despite the loss, reaching the last four represents a commendable achievement and adds another international medal to India's tally.
Similarly, Nikhil went down 0-5 to the United States' Lorenzo Patricio in the men's 55kg semifinal. Although he fell short of a place in the final, his bronze medal reflects a strong campaign against quality opposition.
Four Gold Medal Opportunities Await India
India will head into the final day with four boxers competing for gold:
Women's 48kg: Jyoti vs Farzona Fozilova (Uzbekistan)
Women's 51kg: Minakshi Hooda vs Wu Yu (China)
Women's 57kg: Prachi vs Nigina Uktamova (Uzbekistan)
Men's 70kg: Deepak Poonia vs Ablaikhan Zhussupov (Kazakhstan)
Each contest presents a unique challenge, with India's finalists facing Olympic champions, world medallists and experienced international opponents.
The performances in Guiyang underline the remarkable depth currently present in Indian boxing. While established names like Minakshi continue to deliver on the global stage, emerging talents such as Jyoti, Prachi and Deepak have demonstrated that they are capable of competing with and defeating elite international opponents.
Assuring six medals before the final day is a testament to the country's consistent progress in high-performance boxing programmes and athlete development. It also reflects the increasing competitiveness of Indian boxers across multiple weight categories.
As the World Boxing Cup reaches its conclusion, India has already enjoyed a successful campaign. However, with four gold medal bouts still to come, the contingent has an opportunity to transform an impressive tournament into a truly memorable one by converting its finalists into champions and further cementing its status as one of the leading nations in world boxing.
Comments (0)
to post comments, replies, and votes.
Loading comments…
