On Day 3 of the competition, Minakshi (48 kg) and Pooja Rani (80 kg) gave confident performances to secure two medals for India, continuing the boxing team’s remarkable run at the World Boxing Cup – Astana 2025. In the quarterfinals, Minakshi was the first to establish herself with a commanding performance against Chinese Taipei’s Guo Yi-Xuan. To secure a convincing 5:0 unanimous decision victory, the Indian fighter displayed excellent ring awareness, accurate punches, and deft footwork.
She secured her spot in the semifinals and guaranteed herself at least a bronze by controlling the tempo of the fight and scoring cleanly from range, leaving the judges in little doubt. One of India’s most seasoned boxers, Pooja Rani, followed suit in the 80kg division, putting on a tough fight against Kazakhstan’s Gulsaya Yerzhan, a local favourite. Pooja used a combination of control and attack to defeat her opponent by a 4:1 split decision in a hotly contested quarterfinal.
In order to influence the judges in her favour, Pooja took a lot of pressure in the first few rounds of the fight before striking with devastating blows in the closing moments. She also achieved a podium finish with her win, and as she moves on to the semifinals, she will try to turn it into gold. Anamika (51 kg) contributed to India’s winning streak earlier in the day by making it to the quarterfinals. With a calm and strategic performance, she outboxed Aysen Taskin of Turkey, preserving Indian aspirations in another weight class.