World Boxing Championships: Nupur Sheoran Assures India's First Medal

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 19:24 IST

Nupur Sheoran defeated Oltinoy Sotimboeva to assure India’s first medal at the World Boxing Championships, reaching the women’s +80kg semifinals.

Indian boxer Nupur Sheoran (PTI)

Heavyweight boxer Nupur Sheoran assured India of its first medal at the World Boxing Championships by defeating Oltinoy Sotimboeva of Uzbekistan to reach the semifinals of the women’s +80kg category on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Nupur, granddaughter of legendary boxer Hawa Singh, entered the competition directly in the quarterfinals. She overcame a scrappy contest to beat the Uzbek 4-1 and secured at least a bronze medal. The +80kg category, which is a non-Olympic weight class, features just 10 boxers in the ongoing competition.

How Nupur Sheoran Beat Oltinoy Sotimboeva?

Nupur began brightly, landing a sharp combination early on. The Uzbek responded with a straight jab, but frequent clinching disrupted the flow. Cleaner punching helped the Indian boxer take the opening round on four of the five cards.

Sotimboeva, 20, refused to back down in the second round, keeping the exchanges messy yet managing to sway two judges despite Nupur finishing the round with a flurry of shots.

In the final round, Sotimboeva was docked a point for excessive holding, while Nupur had a point deducted for using her head soon after, cancelling the advantage.

Though the closing stages saw more swinging than scoring, Nupur’s ability to land cleaner punches proved decisive as she booked her spot in the semifinals.

On Tuesday night, Jadumani Singh (48kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) progressed to the men’s quarterfinals with comprehensive wins, while Jugnoo Ahlawat’s (85kg) campaign ended in the opening round against Scotland’s Robert McNulty.

Later on Wednesday, two-time champion Nikhat Zareen, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria, Pooja Rani, and Jamwal will compete in their quarterfinal matches.

(With inputs from PTI)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...

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