Pooja Rani Clinches Ninth National Gold at Women's Boxing Championships

Pooja Rani's Triumph at National Boxing Championships

By Sahil Kohli

Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 27: After securing a gold medal at the women's National Boxing Championships, Pooja Rani, an Asian Games medalist, expressed her joy over achieving her ninth national-level gold and highlighted the intense competition present in Indian boxing.

Pooja, who was the reigning champion in the 75kg category last year, moved up to 80kg and successfully prevented All India Police's Lalfakmawi Ralte from winning gold for the second time.

In an interview, Pooja mentioned that the match posed challenges due to its contrasting dynamics of power and speed.

“This marks my ninth gold medal at the nationals. I feel great about winning this title. The bout was quite challenging for me, involving both power and speed. I faced some difficulties, but overall, it was a good experience,” she stated.

Discussing the national-level competitions, Pooja remarked on the abundance of talent in India, suggesting that winning a national gold is akin to earning an international medal.

“In India, each state boasts exceptional boxers. Winning a gold here feels like achieving an international medal. Every state has three to four strong boxers, and it often comes down to the draw. I faced three or four tough opponents in my weight class. The competition in India is fierce,” she added.

Pooja also mentioned her plans to compete in the 70kg category in future major competitions.

“Currently, I weigh between 75-80 kg. I am considering moving down to 70 kg starting from the Commonwealth Games in 2026,” she concluded.

The Railways team showcased their dominance at the 8th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship, defending their title with an impressive haul of nine medals, including five golds, at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex on Thursday. Haryana secured second place with six medals, comprising two golds and several silvers, while All India Police (AIP) finished third with seven medals, including one gold.

Throughout the week-long event, which followed the World Boxing Technical & Competition Rules, 188 boxers from 24 state units competed across ten weight categories. Railways achieved five golds and four bronzes, while Haryana earned two golds, three silvers, and one bronze. AIP collected one gold, four silvers, and two bronzes.

Additionally, Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh announced a cash prize of Rs 50,000 for the top performers of the championship. Jaismine Lamboria from the Services Sports Promotion Board was awarded Best Boxer, while Simranjit Kaur from Punjab was recognized as Best Challenger. Laxmi received the title of Best Referee, and Rekha Swami was honored as Best Judge.

Leading the Railways team, Anamika and Nupur successfully defended their national titles. Anamika, the current light flyweight champion, won against Haryana's Tamanna by unanimous decision, while heavyweight champion Nupur also triumphed over AIP's Kiran to secure back-to-back titles. Sonia Lather, last year's 57kg gold medalist, showcased her adaptability by moving up to 60kg and winning with a 4:1 split decision against AIP's Sanju. Sanamacha Chanu continued her strong performance with a 5:2 victory over Haryana's Saneh, while Muskan defeated Punjab's Anjali with a first-round stoppage.

The Services team had a flawless tournament, with Jaismine Lamboria and Sakshi maintaining a perfect win record. Jaismine dominated the featherweight category, defeating Haryana's Priya 5:0, while Sakshi quickly secured an RSC R1 victory over Abha Singh, concluding a perfect campaign for Services.

Haryana's Pooja Rani, last year's 75kg champion, moved up to 80kg and denied AIP's Lalfakmawi Ralte a gold medal for the second consecutive time. Neeraj Phogat contributed to Haryana's medal tally with a hard-fought 4:3 win over Simranjit Kaur in the 60-65kg division. Minakshi secured a gold for All India Police after successfully defending her title with a 5:0 victory over Sikkim's Yasika Rai.

Olympian and World Championship Bronze Medalist Nishant Dev attended the event, motivating the young boxers as they prepared to shine on the national stage.

Final Results

45-48kg – Gold: Minakshi (AIP), Silver: Yasika Rai (SIK), Bronze: Sanjana (DEL), Rajni (RSPB)

48-51kg – Gold: Anamika (RSPB), Silver: Tamanna (HAR), Bronze: Kalaivani S (TN), Sunita (RAJ)

51-54kg – Gold: Sakshi (SSCB), Silver: Abha Singh (AIP), Bronze: Savita (RSPB), Aarti Dhariyal (UTK)

54-57kg – Gold: Jaismine (SSCB), Silver: Priya (HAR), Bronze: Vishakha Varitya (PUN), Poonam (RSPB)

57-60kg – Gold: Sonia Lather (RSPB), Silver: Sanju (AIP), Bronze: Poonam Kaithwas (MAH), Aparajita Mani (UP)

60-65kg – Gold: Neeraj Phogat (HAR), Silver: Simranjit Kaur (PUN), Bronze: Alena Devi (MAN), Sonu (AIP)

65-70kg – Gold: Sanamacha Chanu (RSPB), Silver: Saneh (HAR), Bronze: Imroz Khan (AIP), Lalita (RAJ)

70-75kg – Gold: Muskan (RSPB), Silver: Anjali (PUN), Bronze: Shweta (RAJ), Anju (CHD)

75-80kg – Gold: Pooja Rani (HAR), Silver: Lalfakmawi Ralte (AIP), Bronze: Anupama (RSPB), Pranshu Rathore (CHD)

80+kg – Gold: Nupur (RSPB), Silver: Kiran (AIP), Bronze: Ipsita Vikram (UP), Priyanka Tewatia (HAR).