Jaismine Lamboria carved her name into Indian boxing history on a charged Friday night in Liverpool, dismantling Venezuela’s Omailyn Carolina Alcala Segovia 5-0 in the women’s 57kg semifinals to storm into the World Boxing Championships final. The bout was pure assertion from the very first bell. Jaismine kept her distance early, snapping precise jabs that rattled Segovia’s rhythm. Then came the bursts — sleek one-two combinations that scored cleanly and left no doubts on the judges’ cards. By the second round, the Venezuelan was chasing shadows, her aggression turned into desperation against Jaismine’s calm, calculated footwork. Every exchange fed the momentum, swelling into total domination. When the final decision was given, all five judges had scored in 24-year-old Jaismine’s favour. She didn’t just win; she owned the ring, claiming her place as India’s newest trailblazer. Now, just one step remains. In the final, she will face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta, a silver medallist from the 2024 Paris Olympics. India’s night of celebration didn’t end there. Nupur Sheoran also marched into the final at the World Championships. With a commanding 5-0 win over Turkey’s Duztas Seyma, Nupur advanced to the women’s 80+kg final, ensuring another shot at gold for India in Liverpool. Earlier, promising young boxer Minakshi Hooda continued her sparkling run at the championships, storming into the semifinals of the women’s 48kg category with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision win over England’s Alice Pumphrey. Her triumph guaranteed India a fourth medal at the tournament, joining Jaismine, Pooja Rani (80kg) and Nupur in the medal bracket. For Minakshi, competing in the non-Olympic light flyweight division, the bout was not just a monumental step for her own career but also a testament to India’s growing strength in women’s boxing. The Rohtak-born pugilist showcased clinical precision, capitalising on her greater reach and tactical nous. By preferring to work off the backfoot, Minakshi nullified the aggression of her young opponent, who came in with a reputation to defend as the reigning under-19 world champion. Her measured footwork and crisp counterpunching dictated the contest, frustrating the English teenager. The emphatic 5-0 verdict set her up for a semifinal clash against Mongolia’s seasoned Lutsaikhany Altantsetseg, the 2023 world silver medallist. Even as Minakshi provided the Indian contingent a morale boost, the men’s team endured their final heartbreak in Liverpool. India’s last remaining male boxer, Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, bowed out in the quarterfinal of the 50kg category despite putting up a gallant fight against reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan. His 0-4 split decision defeat meant India’s men’s squad ended their campaign without a single medal for the first time since the 2013 edition. The dual storylines of India’s world championships campaign highlight the contrasting fortunes of the men’s and women’s contingents. While the men exit with searching questions about preparation and consistency, the women continue to reinforce India’s ascendancy — with Jaismine, Nupur, Minakshi and Pooja all leading the charge in Liverpool.
