La Nucia (Spain): Twelve Indians, including eight women and four men, will compete for gold on the final day of BOXAM Elite International 2026, following another session full of assured performances.
Leading the men’s charge was Sachin (60kg), who extended his brilliant run with another dominant win over England’s Jack Dryden. Over in the women’s section, Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) stormed through to the finals with a unanimous victory over Wales’ Rosie Eccles.
Held in La Nucia, Alicante, Spain, the BOXAM Elite 2026 has featured over 200 boxers from 20 nations. India (12) is the most well-represented nation in Saturday’s finals – ahead of heavyweights Kazakhstan (11), Ukraine (5), and hosts Spain (4) and is assured of at least one gold, with the Elite Women 54kg final being an all-Indian affair.
India’s women continued their strong showing with commanding semifinal wins across divisions, headlined by the confirmation of a gold in the 54kg category, where Preeti and Poonam will face off for the title. Elsewhere, Manju Rani (48kg), Nitu (51kg), Priya (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), and Naina (80kg) all advanced to the finals with emphatic victories, underlining India’s depth and consistency across weight classes.
In the men’s competition, India added further finalists through dominant displays from Deepak (70kg), Akash (75kg), and Ankush (80kg). Deepak produced one of the session’s standout moments by forcing a first-round RSC against Kazakhstan’s World Boxing Cup Finals’ silver medallist Nurbek Mursal, while Akash and Ankush negotiated tough bouts against Kazakh opponents to seal their places in Saturday’s gold-medal contests.
India’s campaign also saw several boxers finish on the podium with bronze medals after falling at the semifinal stage, including Pranjal Yadav (65kg), Kajal (65kg), Sanamacha Chanu (75kg), and Mankirat Kaur (80+kg) in the women’s competition. Jadumani Singh (55kg), Mohammed Hussam Uddin (60kg), and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) secured bronze finishes in the men’s draw.
(IANS)
