By Sahil Kohli

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Following their fine performances in the World Boxing Cup 2025 at Astana, Kazakhstan, some of India's medal winners opened up on their performances during the tournament and their plans ahead of the World Championships and Asian Games.

India finished the World Boxing Cup 2025, Kazakhstan, with 11 medals, including three gold, five silver and three bronze. The winners of this World Boxing Cup and the edition held in Brazil were felicitated in a ceremony on Thursday. The Brazil edition was held from March 31 to April 5, while the Astana edition was held from June 30 to July 7.

The gold medalists Jaismine Lamboria, Nupur and Sakshi and silver medalist Pooja Rani from the Kazakhstan edition spoke to ANI at the sidelines of the event.

Lamboria, who won the gold medal in the 57 kg category, said to ANI that it was her first international tournament after the Olympics, where she registered a finish in the round of 32.

'I spent seven to eight months thinking about what I did wrong at Olympics and tried improving on it. Boxing camps were held in Patiala and at the Army Sports Institute. I got to compete here, and it was a great experience. During the seven to eight months of training, I tried implementing it here and was successful in it. I got my gold and I am happy,' she added.

On India's disappointing show at the Paris Olympics last year, she said that Team India did its best and Nishant Dev, who lost the quarterfinal, could have won the bronze medal.

'The whole team was sad that they could not win a medal. Everyone gave their best, whether it was the federation or the athletes. Everyone felt that there would be more chances in future and we would prepare for it. This is a positive for us. The training is going on well in Patiala, and the World Championships and Asian Games are coming. There will be several major tournaments. Good chance for us to perform well and make India proud with as many medals as possible,' he added.

The World Championships will be held in Liverpool from September 4-14. Asian Games will be held in Japan from September 19, 2026, to October 4, 2026.

The 34-year-old veteran Pooja Rani, who got the silver medal in the women's 80kg, also won the bronze medal in the Asian Games 2014, said that defeating the boxer from the host nation in her first clash gave her motivation.

'Before the World Cup, I got two months for training. I had fine training sessions with Chanderlal (the national coach). I have been preparing well for the world championship for a month. Next year, I want to win in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. I will take things, step by step,' he added.

Nupur, who secured a gold medal in the women's 80-plus kg, reflected on how her final was against a boxer from the host country who was also a silver medalist in the recent world championship, Yeldana Talipova.

'Our national coach, Chanderlal, also improved my technique a lot. He worked on my weaknesses and strengths and paid a lot of attention to them,' she added.

On preparations for the World Championships and Asian Games, she said that recently, her assessment was held and it went well.

'There will be a training camp in the UK (for the World Championships) and I will be preparing. We (she and the coach) will have to improve on our technique and strength,' she added.

Sakshi, the gold medalist in the competition in the 54 kg category, said that winning all her matches unanimously, with several Olympians and Olympic medalists playing, gave her a confidence boost.

'I hope to continue winning gold medals. My biggest learning was to stay calm and perform well. Even though your opponent is tough, you have to stay calm,' she added.

On technical tweaks, she said that she is working on gaining power and accuracy in her right hand, just like her left hand.

'I also want to increase my attacking game,' she concluded.

During the event, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) announced a prize purse of Rs 17.5 lakh to reward the 17 Indian boxers who brought home medals from the recent World Boxing Cup legs in Brazil and Kazakhstan.

Each gold medallist will receive Rs 2 lakh, silver medallists Rs 1 lakh, and bronze winners Rs 50,000, as India builds momentum toward the World Boxing Cup Finals to be held in New Delhi later this year.

The announcement comes at a time when India's national core group continues high-intensity training at the Patiala camp in preparation for two key international events: the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool in September and, later, the World Boxing Cup Finals on home soil. In a further boost to the development pipeline, the BFI has been approached by China to explore a strategic partnership spanning junior, sub-junior, and elite levels, including potential joint training camps and sparring exchanges.

Commenting on the pugilists' success and the path forward, BFI President-Chairman, Interim Committee, Ajay Singh, said, as quoted by BFI release: 'I want to congratulate our boxers for a fantastic showing on the world stage. Our efforts are beginning to bear fruit. India has made a huge mark in the first two cups and our fifth in the world. It's a matter of pride. When you go to these championships, people come up to congratulate the contingent, to tell us what a great job India is doing in boxing. We have also been approached by China for a strategic relationship for boxing development, reflecting how highly the world is looking at Indian boxing.'

'But this is just the beginning. There are many Mary Koms and Vijender Singhs out there; we must nurture them and ensure they're prepared to deliver at the biggest stages, including the Olympics,' he added.

The dual World Boxing Cup performance brought India a total of 17 medals, including 4 gold, with standout showings from Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Nupur (80+kg) in Astana, and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) in Brazil. Notably, both Hitesh and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) secured medals at both events--a gold and silver for Hitesh; two silvers for Abhinash--underlining consistency across weight categories.

In addition to the gold medallists, India's medal tally included silvers for Pooja Rani (80kg), Minakshi (48kg), Jugnoo (85kg), and Hitesh and Abhinash in Astana, while Sanju (60kg), Nikhil Dubey (75kg), and Narender (90+kg) earned bronze. From the Brazil leg, bronze medals were also secured by Jadumani Singh (50kg), Manish Rathore (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), and Vishal (90kg).

Speaking at the ceremony, guest of honour Vijender Singh, India's first Olympic boxing medallist, said: 'You all have done very well, all the boys and girls. We have to keep going. There are a lot of hurdles in life, and we have to move ahead without being satisfied, always hungry for more success.'

The recognition reflects the Federation's continued push to reward performance and sharpen India's international boxing ecosystem with depth, structure, and continuity at its core. Earlier this year, India clinched a rich medal haul at the Asian Boxing U-15 and U-17 Championships, underscoring the strength of its talent pipeline. At the Thailand Open, India's second and third-in-line boxers delivered silverware, showcasing bench strength across categories.

Domestically, the recently concluded Elite Women's Boxing Tournament in Telangana offered high-quality exposure for top contenders and a platform to identify the next tier of national talent.

World Boxing Cup Kazakhstan 2025: Indian medal winnersSakshi (women's 54kg) - gold medalJaismine Lamboria (women's 57kg) - gold medalNupur (women's 80+ kg) - gold medalMeenakshi (women's 48kg) - silver medalPooja Rani (women's 80kg) - silver medalAbhinash Jamwal (men's 65kg) - silver medalHitesh Gulia (men's 70kg) - silver medalJugnoo (men's 85kg) - silver medalSanju (women's 60kg) - bronze medalNikhil Dubey (men's 75kg) - bronze medalNarender Berwal (men's 90+ kg) - bronze medal. (ANI)