World Boxing Cup 2026: Prachi stuns Olympic medallist as India confirms six medals
Guiyang, June 19
With pugilist Prachi leading the charge, India delivered a commanding performance at the World Boxing Cup 2026, confirming six medals for the country following a strong showing in the quarterfinals.
Prachi (57kg) produced the standout performance of the day, defeating Paris Olympics bronze medallist Shih Yi Wu of Chinese Taipei in a hard-fought 4-1 verdict to secure her place in the semifinals and guarantee a podium finish.
World No. 1 in 48kg, Minakshi, competing in the 51kg category after moving up in weight, continued her dominant run with a clinical 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova, the reigning world champion (2025) and world No. 3, marking one of the most significant wins of the day.
In the men's category, Deepak (70kg) delivered a composed performance to outclass Azerbaijan's Nabi Isgandarov with a unanimous 5-0 decision, while Nikhil (55kg) also impressed with a dominant 5-0 win over Azerbaijan's Amin Mammadzada to progress to the semifinals.
With these results, India has secured six medals at the tournament, continuing its strong run on the international stage.
Earlier in the day, Saneh (65kg) put up a spirited effort but went down 0-5 against Poland's Kinga Krówka, bowing out of the competition.
India's consistent performances at the World Boxing Cup once again reflect the depth and quality across weight categories, as the team now eyes multiple finalists and potential gold medals in the upcoming bouts.
On Thursday, India's Minakshi emerged victorious on the fourth day of the Boxing World Cup (Stage 2) in China, advancing to the quarterfinals in her weight category.
Competing in the women's 51kg category, Minakshi, the reigning 48kg World Champion and current World No. 1 in that division, now transitioning to the Olympic 51kg weight class, registered a convincing 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Poland's Natalia Kuczewska to move ahead in the competition.
In the other contest on day four, Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) bowed out after suffering a 0-5 defeat to Kyrgyzstan's Mirzokhid Imamnazarov.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great to see India doing so well in boxing! Six medals is a massive achievement for any country. Minakshi's 5-0 win over the world champion was especially impressive. Hope they can convert some into gold.
Yeh Prachi aur Minakshi jaisi ladkiyan humesha humara sar uncha karti hain. 🇮🇳 But still, I wish the government would invest more in grassroots sports—imagine what we could achieve if every village had a boxing ring. 🤔
Deepak and Nikhil also did well, but the real story is Minakshi beating the reigning world champion after moving up a weight category. That is champion mentality. Six medals confirmed, let's aim for at least two golds now! 🥇
Super proud of our boxers! Prachi's performance was the highlight for me—defeating a Taipei Olympic medallist is no joke. But I also feel for Saneh; sometimes you just have those days. Team India ko support karo, not just when they win, but also when they lose. 🙏
India's rise in boxing is impressive. Six medals already shows real depth across both men's and women's events. Minakshi moving up to 51kg and still dominating is a serious statement. Looking forward to the semis.
V < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.