Asia’s Boxers Shine on Opening Day of World Boxing Cup Astana 2025
Published on: June 30, 2025
Published on: June 30, 2025
The first day of action at the World Boxing Cup 2025 opened with a strong display of power and precision from Asia’s top boxing nations, as athletes from India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, and South Korea delivered a series of dominant performances across both the men’s and women’s divisions.
In the women’s light flyweight (48kg) category, India’s Minakshi secured a confident 5:0 win over Australia’s Madeleine Bowen, while Kazakhstan’s experienced Nazym Kyzaibay mirrored the result with a clean sweep over Canada’s Priyankha Dhillon. Mongolia’s Binderiya Sodon-Od narrowly missed out, falling to France’s Romane Moulai in a competitive 3:2 decision.
Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova impressed in the women’s flyweight (51kg), defeating England’s Kelsey Oakley with a 4:1 decision. In the bantamweight (54kg), Kazakhstan’s Anel Sakysh dominated Germany’s Tatiana Obermaier, while Mongolia’s Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg was outpointed by France’s Melissa Bounoua.
India’s Sanju led the charge in the women’s lightweight (60kg) bracket with a clear 5:0 victory over Dominican Republic’s Katherine Bera. Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva handed Japan’s Ayaka Taguchi a rare defeat, while Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova fell to Turkey’s Gizem Ozer in a 4:1 decision. Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor pulled off a narrow 3:2 win against Poland’s Aneta Rygielska, and South Korea’s Oj Yeonji delivered a confident 4:1 victory over Australia’s Amber Farraway.
In the women’s middleweight (70kg) clash between two Asian contenders, Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova overcame India’s Sanamacha Chanu Thokchom in a 4:1 decision, showcasing the region’s depth in talent.
The men’s competition saw similar success for Asian athletes. The Philippines’ Jay Bryan Baricuatro opened the men’s light flyweight (50kg) bracket with a commanding 5:0 win over Italy’s Salvatore Attrattivo, while India’s Sachin delivered a flawless performance against Canada’s Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh in the lightweight (60kg) category.
In men’s light welterweight (65kg), Japan’s Shion Nishiyama edged Canada’s Omar Zaatiti in a close 3:2 decision. Fellow Filipino Mark Ashley Fajardo fell short against Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev. Meanwhile, in the welterweight (70kg) class, Kyrgyzstan’s Almaz Orozbekov secured a stoppage win over Kazakhstan’s Ablaikhan Zhussupov, and India’s Hitesh delivered a clean sweep against Taiwan’s Chia-Wei Kan. Mongolia’s Byamba-Erdene Otgonbaatar dominated Korea’s Joonsu Kim with a 5:0 unanimous decision in another all-Asian showdown.
With victories across nearly every category and weight division, Asian athletes have set a high standard for the tournament ahead.