India Stuns World Boxing Cup: Pawan Bartwal's Knockout Upset and Hitesh Gulia's Split-Decision Win

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India's dominance at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 continued on Day 2, with Pawan Bartwal and Hitesh Gulia producing two of the tournament's most surprising results. Pawan shocked World Boxing Cup Brazil gold medalist Altynbek Nursultan in a stunning upset, while Hitesh edged past top seed Sewon Okazawa in a gripping split-decision bout. Their victories, combined with those of Sumit, Naveen, and Jadumani, ensured India completed a clean sweep of medals across both sessions. Pawan's impressive rise through the ranks began in the 2010s, and he showcased exceptional defensive skills against Nursultan, repeatedly pushing the second seed onto the ropes. "I was nervous at first, but competing in front of our home crowd gave me the confidence I needed," Pawan said after his bout. Hitesh's marquee bout against Okazawa lived up to its high billing, with the Indian boxer producing a dramatic result in a narrow 3:2 win. Both boxers displayed caution early, but Hitesh's powerful hook in round 2 gave him the early advantage. Okazawa hit back aggressively in round 3, but Hitesh's clean work in the first two rounds proved decisive. Earlier, Sumit followed Pawan's lead with a 5:0 win over South Korea's Kim Hyeon-tae, showcasing a relentless display of aggression and tactical control. Naveen completed the trio of wins with a composed performance against Kazakhstan's Bekzat Tangatar, while Jadumani opened his campaign with a unanimous decision win over Kazakhstan's Nurzat Ongarov. In other results, Taiwan's Wu Shih-Yi delivered a standout win, dominating Uzbekistan's Sitora Turdibekova 5:0 in the women's 57kg division. Uzbekistan's Samandar Olimov, England's Ellis Trowbridge, and Uzbekistan's Javokhir Abdurakhimov advanced in the men's 55kg and 75kg brackets. On Day 3, ten Indians will enter semifinal action, led by World Champion Minakshi against Korea's Bak Cho-rong. Preeti faces a major test against Olympic medalist and three-time World Champion Huang Hsiao-Wen, while Arundhati Choudhary meets German standout Leonie Muller. Saweety Boora takes on Australia's Emma-Sue Greetree, with Narender, Naveen, and Ankush also chasing finals spots. Abhinash Jamwal opens his campaign against Ukraine's Elvin Aliiev.