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India’s scintillating run at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 roared ahead on Day two with Pawan Bartwal (55kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70 kilograms) delivering two of the tournament’s biggest results: Pawan stunning World Boxing Cup Brazil gold medalist Altynbek Nursultan, and Hitesh edging past two-time Olympian, 2022 Asian Games gold medalist, and top seed Sewon Okazawa in a gripping split-decision bout.
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Their victories, along with strong wins from Sumit (75kg), Naveen (90kg), and Jadumani Singh (50kg), ensured India completed a perfect medal sweep across both sessions, as per a press release from the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
For Pawan, the moment was 15 years in the making. Having begun boxing in the 2010s and quietly risen through the ranks, the Services boxer erupted onto the world stage spectacularly. Spurred on by the home support, he displayed exceptional defensive discipline, clever tempo control, and superb endurance, repeatedly pushing Nursultan-the second seed in the weight category-onto the ropes while picking clean openings. Pawan’s poised, calculated performance marked one of India’s finest victories in the opening rounds of this elite eight-only global event.
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“Nursultan is a good boxer, he was a champion at the World Boxing Cup in Brazil this year. I was nervous at the beginning, but this tournament is taking place in our country, in front of our crowd, and that gave me confidence. This is a hugely significant tournament in my career. This is my first international medal, and I am extremely proud,” Pawan said after his bout.
The night’s marquee bout between Hitesh and Okazawa lived up to its billing, with the former producing one of the tournament’s most dramatic results in a narrow 3:2 win.-TIN Bureau
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