Pawan Bartwal gave India a winning start at the World Boxing Championships with a gritty victory over Brazil&rsquo;s Michael Douglas Trindade, a Paris Olympian, in a tense men&rsquo;s 55kg opening bout on Thursday.
Bartwal showed composure under pressure in the decisive third round, keeping his Brazilian opponent at bay while landing enough punches to edge the judges&rsquo; scorecards. He sealed the contest 3:2 after the two boxers were deadlocked following the opening two rounds, with Trindade cancelling out Bartwal&rsquo;s early advantage in the second.
India has sent a 20-member squad to the inaugural World Championships in Liverpool, which is being organised under the aegis of the World Boxing Council, a newly established international governing body for the sport. The team is keen to showcase India&rsquo;s rising stature in global boxing.
Later in the evening session, three more Indians &mdash; Sakshi (women&rsquo;s 54kg), Sanamacha Chanu (women&rsquo;s 70kg), and Harsh Choudhary (men&rsquo;s 90kg) are set to step into the ring.
Meanwhile, 10 Indian boxers have been handed favourable draws. Medal contenders Hitesh Gulia (men&rsquo;s 70kg), Abhinash Jamwal (men&rsquo;s 65kg), Nikhat Zareen (women&rsquo;s 51kg), and Lovlina Borgohain (women&rsquo;s 70kg) avoided tricky opponents in the early stages. Gulia, Jamwal, and Lovlina received first-round byes, while Nikhat Zareen will open against the USA&rsquo;s Jennifer Lozana.
The Indian camp is upbeat with the return of top stars like Nikhat Zareen, former world champion, and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain both of whom add depth and experience to the squad&rsquo;s medal hopes. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Bartwal edges Trindade in World Boxing opener

India’s Pawan Bartwal stuns Olympian Trindade 3:2 to give team a strong start in Liverpool

Bartwal edges Trindade in World Boxing opener

India’s Pawan Bartwal stuns Olympian Trindade 3:2 to give team a strong start in Liverpool

September 4, 2025 | 20:13 IST