On 14 September 2025, Minakshi Hooda won India’s second gold medal at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, defeating Kazakhstan’s Olympic bronze medallist Nazym Kyzaibay 4–1 in the women’s 50kg final. The ITBP constable of Rurki, Haryana who is 24 years old added to her record of winning a medal at every international tournament. Earlier, Jaismine Lamboria had won India’s first gold in the 57kg category. The victory of Minakshi showed the rising popularity of India in the world of female boxing and the importance of training and planning. Nupur (80kg+), Pooja Rani (80kg) also won silver and bronze respectively in the championships, and this demonstrates a good female boxing team in India.
About Minakshi Hooda
Category: Women’s 50kg
Last Competitor: Nazym Kyzaibay (Kazakhstan, Olympic bronze winner)
Result: Won 4–1
Background:
Age: 24 years
Hometown: Rurki, Haryana
Occupation: Indo-Tibetan border police (ITBP) constable.
Achievements: Medalled in all the international tournaments she participated in; World Cup and silver Asian Championships.
Match Highlights
Lost first round 23 but went on to win the third round.
Punching land with reach/height used to create precise punches.
Specifically, shown tactical aggressiveness and level-headedness against a more seasoned opponent.
Other Indian Medal Winners
Jaismine Lamboria (57kg): Gold, defeated Szermeta Julia (Poland) 4–1
Nupur (80kg+): Silver, lost final 2–3 to Agata Kaczmarska (Poland)
Pooja Rani (80kg): Bronze, lost semifinal 1–4 to Emily Asquith (GB)
Significance
Presents the emergence of women boxing in India as a country in the global arena.
Creates an inspiration among young players of all genders, particularly women.
Reflects military assistance (in the case of Minakshi, the ITBP) and national sports facilities.
Testifies to the fact that India has been performing well in international sport events.
Policy and Socio-cultural Impact.
Enhances national concentration on development of sports and empowerment of women.
Promotes investment on training and competitive platforms among female athletes.
Enhances diversity in sporting arenas all over the world.
The achievement of Minakshi Hooda in the 2025 World Boxing Championship as the winner of the gold is a landmark in the history of women's sports in India. It emphasizes the increasing popularity of the country in boxing on the global stage, the significance of institutionalization and the strict training, and the India interest in popularizing the female sport. In the case of UPSC, this brings out the empowerment of women in sports, global successes of sports in India, and the contribution of the armed forces towards talent development of the country.