Jhajjar-based Indian boxer Hitesh Gulia has come a long way to win the World Boxing Cup 2025 gold medal in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.
Gulia, a sailor with the Indian Navy, impressed at the national level recently by clinching a gold medal in the Senior National Boxing Championships and following it up with another top podium finish at the 38th Uttarakhand National Games.
In his will to stay at the top of the podium, maintaining his weight has been a crucial factor.
“I started boxing to improve my fitness. But when I won a medal in the district meet, my parents encouraged me to continue with boxing,” he recalled.
“The World Championship will be a good platform to learn and further prove my prowess,” the World Boxing Cup gold medallist said.
“It’s challenging task to maintain a steady body weight in combat sports like boxing,” Gulia added. “I strictly follow a diet chart and don’t reduce weight close to the competition, which has greatly enabled me to perform at my potential.”
The 20-year-old was always ready to enter the men’s 70kg final. And his pre-meditated effort helped him secure glory in Brazil.
“I was mentally prepared for the final round, but was told by the coaching team that my opponent is medically unfit,” the Indian boxer told Mykhel over the phone from Brazil.
“It was challenging to make the final round as the preparation for the World Boxing Cup was just 10 days,” the Indian boxer added. “We reached Brazil nearly a week before the competition. Got a good chance to spar with other boxers and acclimatized to local weather conditions. It just added to our confidence,” he added.
Abhinash Jamwal, the other Indian boxer in the 65kg final bout, lost to Yuri Reis.
Medals Won By Indian Boxers At 2025 World Boxing Cup:
- Hitesh Gulia (70kg) – Gold
- Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) – Silver
- Jadumani Singh (50kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Vishal (90kg), Manish Rathore (55kg) – Bronze
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