Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen will spearhead a 20-member Indian squad at the World Boxing Championships 2025, scheduled to be held from September 4 to 14 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England.
This will be the inaugural edition of the championships under World Boxing, the newly formed global governing body for the sport. More than 550 boxers from over 65 nations, including 17 Paris 2024 Olympic medallists, are expected to compete across 20 weight divisions — 10 for men and 10 for women.
Borgohain, returning to the ring after the Paris Games, will contest in the 75kg category, while Zareen will compete in 51kg. Olympian Pooja Rani is set to feature in the 80kg division, marking her comeback to international competition.
Other prominent names in the squad include Narender Berwal (90kg), who won bronze at the Asian Games, and World Boxing Cup gold medallists Hitesh Gulia (70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg).
The squad was finalised in July following assessments at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala.
The tournament will follow a knockout format, with semi-finalists assured of bronze medals. Each bout will consist of three three-minute rounds, judged using the “Ten Point Must” system. Preliminary rounds are scheduled from September 4–10, the semi-finals on September 12–13, and the finals on September 14.
The event will be live-streamed on the World Boxing YouTube channel in India, though there will be no live television broadcast.
India squad – World Boxing Championships 2025
- 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 (80kg)
- 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 (90kg)
With Borgohain and Zareen leading the charge, India will look to make a strong mark in Liverpool and add to its growing legacy in world boxing.
