Simranjit Kaur and Jaismine Lamboria Shine in Elite National Boxing Championship Semis

World Championships and Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Simranjit Kaur and Jaismine Lamboria dominated their quarterfinals at the Elite Women's National Boxing Championship. Simranjit defeated Railways' Prachi, while Jaismine overpowered Tamil Nadu's Hannah Joy. The event continues in Greater Noida with thrilling semifinal matchups ahead.

Simranjit Kaur, a World Championships bronze medallist, and Jaismine Lamboria, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, have displayed exceptional prowess, securing their places in the semifinals of the 8th Elite Women's National Boxing Championship 2025. On Tuesday, Simranjit, hailing from Punjab, outclassed Railways' Prachi with a unanimous decision win in the 60-65kg category. This achievement highlights her experience, being the first female boxer from Punjab to compete at the Olympics. Equally impressive, Jaismine, representing SSCB, dominated Tamil Nadu's Hannah Joy, achieving an RSC win in just two rounds.

The championship, organized by the Boxing Federation of India in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh Boxing Association, is taking place at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, from March 20 to 27, 2025. The event features 188 competitors from 24 state units across ten weight categories, adhering to World Boxing Technical & Competition Rules, with bouts consisting of three-minute rounds interspersed with one-minute rests. Among the notable outcomes was Tamil Nadu's Kalaivani S's upset over the 2022 Youth World Champion, Devika Ghorpade, with a commanding unanimous decision in the Light flyweight category (48-51kg). Defending champion Anamika Hooda moved closer to retaining her title with a decisive victory over Mehak Dharra of Delhi in the quarterfinals.

In what promises to be a captivating semifinal, Anamika will face Kalaivani S. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the bracket, Haryana's Tamanna is set to take on Rajasthan's Sunita, both of whom advanced with hard-fought quarterfinal victories. In the heavyweight division, Nupur, a two-time defending national champion representing Railways, overpowered Tamil Nadu's Jayasree S, leading to a semifinal faceoff against Uttar Pradesh's Ipsita Vikram, who secured a victory against Rajasthan's Chandan Choudhary. Sonu, a silver medallist from the previous edition, also secured a semifinal berth with a dominant win over UP's Sarita Rai, setting up an anticipated clash with Simranjit Kaur. Jaismine is slated to meet Punjab's Vishakha Varitya, while Haryana's Priya will go up against Railway's Poonam in the 54-57kg category. The stage is set for an exciting encounter between Nupur and Ipsita in the heavyweight class.

(With inputs from agencies.)