Ajay Singh hails India’s nine gold medals in World Boxing Cup Finals

India won nine gold, six silver and five bronze medals at the World Boxing Cup Finals, securing podium finishes in all 20 categories. Ajay Singh hailed the achievement as historic, with Nikhat Zareen and Preeti among the gold medallists

Hyderabad: Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh emphasised that the country’s impressive performance in the recently concluded World Boxing Cup Finals was proof that Indian boxing is no longer an emerging force but one of the superpowers in the sport.

India not only clinched nine gold medals but also won medals in all 20 categories of the prestigious tournament, where the top eight performers from the two World Boxing Cup legs qualified.

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India ended the campaign with nine gold, six silver and five bronze medals, and Singh was understandably elated with the performance.

“I will call this a red-letter day for Indian boxing. I don’t think in any international tournament at any time in our history, India has won 20 medals, including nine gold medals,” Singh said, while insisting that this was just the start of a long journey focused on Asian Games and Olympics glory.

The boxers have a packed 2026 as they will compete in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, while the juniors are preparing to make a mark in the Youth Olympics.

Pointing out that the World Boxing Cup Finals awarded twice the points compared to the two World Boxing Cup legs, the BFI president said the performance will also significantly improve the rankings of the boxers, thereby helping them get better draws in major competitions.

All nine gold medallists emphasised that the support provided by BFI and fellow players in their journey was instrumental in achieving this success.

“A huge credit also goes to BFI and the coaching staff for this success. Till a few years ago, India would be reeling in the world standings but now we are in third spot,” said two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen.

Nikhat, making a comeback after being away from action for most of 2025, grabbed the gold medal in the 51kg category.

Preeti, who clinched the women’s 54kg gold, said playing in front of the home crowd made a big difference.

“I was competing in a major event after a long time but because it was in India, I felt confident about my chances and I am happy that I could win the gold medal,” she said.