LIVERPOOL, UK — Indian boxer Minakshi Hooda put up an amazing show on Saturday to become the third Indian woman to reach the final of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. The former silver medalist at the Asian Championships and World Cup showed off her superior technique and calmness to win the 48kg semifinal against Mongolia’s Lutsaikhany Altantsetseg by a score of 5-0.
Minakshi’s win at the M&S Bank Arena guarantees a strong Indian presence in the finals. She joins Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and heavyweight Nupur Sheoran (80+kg), both of whom had previously secured their spots in the title round.
The 24-year-old from Rurki has been in perfect shape the whole competition. She won her maiden fight by a score of 5-0 against China’s Wang Qiuping and England’s Alice Pumphrey. Her ability to always get unanimous decisions shows how much better she is than everyone else in the ring. Minakshi’s amazing streak of winning a medal at every international tournament she has participated continues, as she is now guaranteed a podium result.
Minakshi was sure she could win because she had already beaten Altantsetseg at the 2022 Asian Championships in a higher 52kg weight class. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) constable was born to a driver of an auto-rickshaw. He showed the perfect mix of anger and tactical calm. From the first bell, she used her lengthy reach to control the distance and set the pace. In the opening round, a loud backhand even knocked the Mongol down, and the referee had to give him a standing count.
Altantsetseg swung wildly, but Minakshi stayed calm and hit Altantsetseg with clean combinations and smart counterpunches that broke through her defense again and over again. There was no doubt that she won because she won all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards.
Minakshi’s triumph sets up a high-stakes final versus Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay. The contest will be a highly anticipated repeat of the World Cup final in Astana in June, where the local boxer had emerged triumphant. Later on Saturday night, Jaismine and Nupur will fight again, while veteran boxer Pooja Rani (80kg) will also be vying for a spot in the final.