World Boxing Championships: Jaismine Lamboria a win away from medal

Bhiwani’s boxing tradition found another worthy flagbearer as Jaismine Lamboria punched her way into the women’s 57kg quarterfinals at the ongoing World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. The 24-year-old dominated every round of her pre-quarterfinal bout against two-time Olympian Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu of Brazil, securing a unanimous 5-0 verdict that underlined her growing stature in India’s women’s boxing scene.

The result leaves Jaismine just one win away from a medal on the sport’s biggest stage.

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Jaismine set the tone from the opening bell with superior footwork and precise jabs. She dominated the first round by landing clean combinations while evading Romeu's power punches. The second round saw Jaismine elevate her game, mixing feints with sharp counterattacks that kept the Brazilian on the back foot. Romeu attempted to close the distance with hooks and uppercuts, but Jaismine’s defensive skills shone through, allowing her to dictate the pace and accumulate points.

By the third and final round, Jaismine’s confidence was palpable. She unleashed a flurry of body shots and head strikes, overwhelming her opponent. The bout concluded with a resounding 5-0 unanimous decision in Jaismine’s favour.In the quarters, she is set to face Uzbekistan’s Asian U22 champion Khumorabonu Mamajonova. For Jaismine, the road to Liverpool came through Haryana’s Bhiwani city — often referred to as India’s “boxing nursery”.

However, boxing wasn’t her first inheritance. Her grandfather, Captain Chander Bhan Lamboria, was a wrestler who instilled the values of discipline and grit in the family. Jaismine’s uncles, Sandeep Singh and Parvinder Singh, were national boxing champions who spotted her interest early and mentored her in the craft.

It was under their guidance that Jaismine first put on the gloves at the age of 12.Jaismine’s career has already been a story of resilience. In 2021, just months before the Asian Championships, she was struck down by Covid-19.

The illness weakened her physically, but she refused to let it derail her ambitions. With determined rehabilitation and hours of training, she returned to fitness in time to make her continental debut.In the men’s 65kg category, World Boxing Cup silver medallist Abhinash Jamwal beat Mexico’s Hugo Barron in a round-of-32 clash with a 5-0 win.It wasn’t all good news for India. Another pre-quarterfinal bout saw Neeraj Phogat pitted against England's Sacha Hickey, a European U23 gold medallist, in the women’s 65kg weight class. The 31-year-old Neeraj put up a brave fight but lost 2-3 in a closely-fought contest. In the women’s 54kg division, Sakshi Chaudhary’s run came to an end in the pre-quarters as she went down 0-5 against Turkey’s Hatice Akba. There was disappointment as well in the women’s 70kg category, in which Sanamacha Chanu bowed out after a 0-5 defeat against Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova in the pre-quarterfinals.