India day

Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports: The World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 officially come to life on Saturday in Greater Noida, the opening ceremony kicking off what promises to be a landmark week in global boxing after the draw delivered India a mix of strong opportunities and high-pressure tests, with World Champion Minakshi Hooda, Preeti, Narender Berwal and Ankush Phangal leading the hosts’ campaign on the opening day of competitions.

After a landmark World Championships in 2023, this marks India’s first major international boxing tournament on home soil, signalling the country’s renewed presence on the global stage.

India’s campaign opens with a high-stakes opener as World Championships Liverpool 2025 gold medallist Minakshi (48kg) collides with Kazakhstan’s Bolat Akbota, followed by a tense, tactical showdown between Preeti (54kg) and Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova, a former Youth World champion and an Asiad medal to her name– the winner of this bout will be earning a blockbuster meeting against Olympic medalist and top seed, Huang Hsiao-Wen of Chinese Taipei.