IMAGE: Jadumani Singh relied on relentless aggression, speed and punch volume to clinch a unanimous 5-0 verdict. Photograph: BFI/X
Promising youngster Jadumani Singh upstaged seasoned campaigner Amit Panghal to storm into the final, while star boxers Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain stayed on course for gold with semifinal wins at the National Championships in Greater Noida on Friday.
The 21-year-old Jadumani (55kg) relied on relentless aggression, speed and punch volume to clinch a unanimous 5-0 verdict over two-time Olympian and world championships silver medallist Panghal.
Both boxers, representing the Services Sports Control Board, have moved up from the non-Olympic 50kg category and were involved in a high-intensity, fast-paced contest.
Jadumani took control from the opening round, working effectively at close range and unleashing flurries from all angles, while Panghal banked on accuracy and counter-punching.
All five judges awarded the opening round to the Manipuri, whose pressure told as the bout wore on. Panghal struggled to match Jadumani’s stamina and absorbed sustained punishment, losing his gum shield at one stage and suffering a cut as the younger boxer’s power became increasingly evident.
Having sealed the first two rounds, Jadumani shifted gears in the third, circling the ring and defending smartly to close out the bout.
“I am happy that my plans against Amit bhai, who is a two-time Olympian and world championships silver medallist, worked,” Jadumani said after the bout.
“He has much more experience than me, but I knew my power and endurance would work in my favour. I tried to box from close range,” he added.
Jadumani will face fellow Services boxer Pawan Bartwal, who defeated Manipur’s Victor Singh, in the 55kg final.
In other men’s semifinals, world championships bronze medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin (60kg) and defending champion Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) were made to work hard before securing their respective 4-1 victories.
Nikhat, Lovlina, Minakshi advance
In the women’s section, two-time world champion Nikhat (51kg) controlled the proceedings from distance to register a 4-1 split decision win over Uttar Pradesh’s Kusum Bhagel.
Nikhat will next take on 2023 world champion Nitu Ghanghas, who defeated Railways’ Jyoti 4-0 in her semifinal.
Reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda (48kg) had a smooth outing, brushing aside Malika Mor to advance to the final.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina (75kg), who has competed sparingly in 2025 due to various issues, produced a dominant display to out-punch Uttar Pradesh’s Imroz Khan 5-0.
“My body is working well. Even after 15 years in boxing, I feel there is still so much to learn. Every opponent is different and this is a very important year for me,” said the three-time world championships medallist.
Coaches’ protest halts semifinal briefly as judging row resurfaces
However, controversy resurfaced when the women’s 65kg semifinal between Haryana’s Neeraj Phogat and SSCB’s Pranjal Yadav was disrupted.
Unhappy with the scoring after the first two rounds, Haryana boxer’s contingent protested to BFI president Ajay Singh, who was seated in the VIP enclosure, delaying the start of the final round by nearly five minutes.
Once the third round was played, the announcement of the result was also delayed by over five minutes, with the decision first being shown to the BFI chief, a clear departure from the norm. Eventually, Pranjal was declared the winner of the bout 4-1.
