New Delhi [India], September 2 : Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Nikhat Zareen will headline India's 20-member contingent for the World Boxing Championships 2025, scheduled to begin in Liverpool from Thursday, as per Olympics.com.
This will be the inaugural edition of the tournament organised by World Boxing, the newly formed global governing body for the sport. All matches will be held at the M&S Bank Arena and the event will run till September 14.
The competition comprises with over 550 boxers from more than 65 countries, including 17 Paris 2024 Olympics medallists, set to participate. Medals will be up for grabs across 20 weight categories, 10 for men and 10 for women.
Borgohain will compete in the 75kg division, while Zareen will take part in the 51kg category. Olympian Pooja Rani will fight in the 80kg weight class. This event marks the first international appearance for both Borgohain and Zareen since the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Among the men, Narender Berwal (90+kg), an Asian Games bronze medallist, along with World Boxing Cup gold medallists Hitesh Gulia (70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), will be key names to watch out for.
The championships will follow a knockout format, where winners progress. The losing semi-finalists will both be awarded bronze medals. Each bout will consist of three three-minute rounds and will be judged using the "Ten Point Must" scoring system.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for September 10, followed by the semi-finals on September 12 and 13. The tournament will conclude on September 14, when 20 new world champions will be crowned.
World Boxing Championships 2025 India squad:
Women: Meenakshi Hooda (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sanju Khatri (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (60kg), Sanamacha Chanu (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Pooja Rani (80kg), Nupur Sheoran (80+kg)
Men: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin Siwach Jr (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh Gulia (70kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo Ahlawat (85kg), Harsh Chaudhary (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+kg).