India Secure Nine Assured Medals in U-23 Women's Boxing at Asian Championships
India's U-23 women continued their outstanding campaign at the Asian U-19 & U-23 Boxing Championships by assuring nine medals after a commanding display in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Indian contingent enjoyed a highly successful day across both the afternoon and evening sessions, with Tanu, Nisha, Prachi, Nikita Chand, and Kajal registering impressive victories to join Shivani, Muskan, Naina, and Priyanka in the semifinals. With all semifinalists guaranteed at least a bronze medal, India has already secured nine podium finishes in the U-23 women's competition and remains firmly on course for an even bigger medal haul.
The performances once again highlighted the depth of India's women's boxing programme, with several athletes now emerging as strong contenders for continental gold.
India made a confident start during the afternoon session, with two dominant victories laying the foundation for another productive day. Competing in the 51kg category, Tanu delivered a composed performance against Thailand's Kewalin Norasing. Displaying sharp footwork, accurate combinations, and excellent ring awareness, she controlled the contest from the opening round and prevented her opponent from gaining any momentum.
The judges unanimously awarded Tanu a 5-0 decision, comfortably sending her into the semifinals. India's winning momentum continued in the 54kg division, where Nisha produced another clinical display against Kazakhstan's Aliaksar Symbat.
Facing a technically sound opponent, Nisha combined disciplined defence with effective counter-attacks to dominate all three rounds. Her consistent scoring and tactical maturity earned another 5-0 unanimous victory, giving India its second semifinalist of the session.
The back-to-back wins reinforced India's strong start and reflected the confidence the squad has carried throughout the championships.
India's only disappointment during the afternoon session came in the 48kg category. Nidhi faced Kazakhstan's Gulnaz Buribayeva in one of the closest contests of the day. Both boxers produced high-quality exchanges throughout the bout, with neither able to establish a decisive advantage. After three competitive rounds, the judges narrowly awarded the contest to the Kazakh boxer through a 3-2 split decision.
Although Nidhi exited the competition, her spirited performance demonstrated her ability to compete against some of Asia's strongest young boxers and highlighted the narrow margins that often separate victory and defeat at this level.
India resumed its winning run during the evening session with an emphatic performance from Prachi in the 57kg category. Taking on Korea's Yejin Oh, Prachi immediately imposed herself on the contest with relentless aggression and precise combinations. Her sustained pressure left the referee with little option but to stop the bout in the opening round, awarding the Indian boxer victory via referee stoppage contest (RSC).
The early finish not only secured Prachi's place in the semifinals but also allowed her to conserve energy ahead of the medal rounds.
Soon afterwards, Nikita Chand produced another dominant display in the 60kg division against Chinese Taipei's Chen-Xuan Ye.
Unlike Prachi's explosive start, Nikita gradually wore down her opponent through consistent pressure and superior technique. As the contest progressed, the Indian boxer steadily took control before the referee halted the bout during the third round, awarding her victory via RSC.
Both performances highlighted India's ability to finish contests decisively against quality opposition.
The final Indian victory of the day came in the 65kg category, where Kajal faced Japan's Arinda Akimoto. The bout proved to be one of the most competitive quarterfinals involving an Indian boxer. Both athletes displayed excellent technical ability and exchanged scoring punches throughout the contest. Kajal, however, consistently landed the cleaner combinations during crucial moments, convincing four of the five judges to award her the bout.
Her 4-1 split decision completed another successful day for the Indian contingent and secured the country's fifth victory in the quarterfinals.
Nine Indian Boxers Reach the Semifinals
With Wednesday's results, India has now guaranteed nine medals in the U-23 women's category.
The Indian semifinalists are:
Tanu (51kg)
Nisha (54kg)
Prachi (57kg)
Nikita Chand (60kg)
Kajal (65kg)
Shivani (70kg)
Muskan (75kg)
Naina (80kg)
Priyanka (+80kg)
With every semifinalist assured of at least a bronze medal, the focus now shifts towards converting those guaranteed podium finishes into gold-medal victories.
India's performance in Jakarta is another indication of the country's growing strength in women's boxing. Over the past decade, Indian women have consistently delivered medals at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Games. That success is now being reinforced by an impressive pipeline of young talent emerging through age-group competitions.
The Boxing Federation of India's emphasis on structured training, grassroots development, and regular international exposure is producing athletes capable of competing confidently against the continent's strongest boxing nations. Competitions such as the Asian U-19 & U-23 Boxing Championships provide invaluable experience, helping young boxers prepare for future senior-level events while exposing them to diverse styles of competition.
The championships, being held in Jakarta from July 5 to July 16, now move into the semifinal stage, where India's medal hopes remain exceptionally strong. With nine assured medals already secured and several boxers producing dominant performances throughout the tournament, India has established itself as one of the leading teams in the U-23 women's competition.
The next objective will be to convert those semifinal appearances into championship titles. Given the form displayed by Tanu, Nisha, Prachi, Nikita Chand, Kajal, and their teammates, India will head into the medal rounds with confidence and realistic ambitions of returning home with multiple gold medals from Jakarta.
Comments (0)
to post comments, replies, and votes.
Loading comments…
