Capping off a stupendous
campaign that saw her dominate all her rivals, Jaismine outclassed Paris
Olympics silver medallist Julia Szeremeta of Poland in the 57kg summit clash.
Sep 14,
Jaismine (in red) became the
ninth Indian boxer to be crowned world champion. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR
PUSHPAKAR/The Hindu
Indian boxer Jaismine Lamboria etched
her name into history with a golden flourish, clinching the coveted
featherweight title at the World Championships with a stirring victory over
Paris Olympics silver medallist Julia Szeremeta of Poland.
Capping off a stupendous
campaign that saw her dominate all her rivals, Jaismine outclassed Szeremeta in
the 57kg summit clash late on Saturday night, prevailing 4-1 on the judges’
scorecards (30-27, 29-28, 30-27, 28-29, 29-28).
However, Nupur Sheoran (80+kg)
and the seasoned Pooja Rani (80kg)
signed off with silver and bronze medals, respectively, in non-Olympic weight
categories.
With the victory, Jaismine
became the ninth Indian boxer to be crowned world champion.
She joined an illustrious list
featuring six-time winner Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018),
two-time winner Nikhat Zareen (2022 and 2023), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL
(2006), Lekha KC (2006), Nitu Ghanghas (2023), Lovlina Borgohain (2023) and
Saweety Boora (2023).
Competing in her third World
Championships, the 24-year-old Jaismine grew steadily into the bout. After a
relatively sedate start where both pugilists sized each other up, it was
Szeremeta who drew first blood, prodded into action by the referee.
The much shorter Pole, who had
lost the Olympic final to gender-row boxer Lin Yu-ting, was fast and precise,
using defensive manoeuvres to dart in and out. She negotiated Jaismine’s long
reach to edge the opening round 3-2.
But the Indian came roaring back
in the second. Adjusting her rhythm, she began controlling the distance,
evading Szeremeta’s advances, and unleashing crisp combinations that swayed all
the judges in her favour.
Jaismine employed the jab and
defended stoutly.
When the final verdict was
announced, the usually serene Jaismine let out a brief yell, raising her hand
before graciously embracing her crestfallen opponent. At the medal ceremony,
her eyes glistened as the Indian national anthem reverberated through the
arena.
Nupur walks away with silver
In the second final of the
night, Nupur walked away with silver after a narrow 2-3 defeat to Poland’s
technically astute Agata Kaczmarska.
Despite enjoying a substantial
height advantage, Nupur could not impose herself on the contest. She started
brightly with a flurry of punches, but Kaczmarska countered with relentless
aggression, weaving through her reach and landing body blows that wore the
Indian down.
As the bout progressed, Nupur
grew hesitant to throw punches, while the Pole dodged jabs with ease and
responded with hooks.
At one point, Kaczmarska even
wrestled Nupur onto the canvas. The defining moment came in the final round
when the Pole unleashed a stunning uppercut, which was enough to tip the
verdict 3-2 in her favour and seal her maiden crown.
Pooja signs off with bronze
Earlier in the semifinals, Pooja
signed off with a bronze medal after going down to local favourite Emily
Asquith by a 1-4 split verdict.
Pooja began on the front foot,
leading after the first round with her measured combinations. But Asquith
adapted swiftly, changing her game plan to negate the 34-year-old’s rhythm.
The local star pressed forward
with sharper counters and cleaner execution, reversing the tide of the contest.
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