"There is a lot of competition...": Pooja Rani on women's boxing in India after gold medal in National Championship

By Sahil Kohli
Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 27 : Following her gold medal win at the women's National Boxing Championships, Asian Games medalist Pooja Rani expressed happiness at her ninth national-level gold and pointed to the high level of competition in Indian boxing.
Haryana's Pooja Rani, last year's 75kg champion, stepped up to 80kg and denied All India Police's (AIP) Lalfakmawi Ralte a gold medal for the second consecutive time.
Speaking with ANI, Pooja said the game caused her some problems as it was a contrasting battle of power and speed.
"This is my ninth gold medal in the nationals. It feels good that I won the ninth title. Today's bout was very tough for me. It was a power game. It was a speedy game. I had some problems. But overall, it was good," she said.
On competing in the national-level competitions, Pooja said that there is so much talent in India that winning a gold in national is like landing an international-level gold.
"If we talk about India, the states have very good boxers. It is like an international medal if you take a gold here too. Every state has good boxers. Every state has 3 to 4 good boxers. It depends on your draw. I had three of four fights in my weight category and they were all tough. There is a lot of competition in India," she added.
Pooja said that she will try to contest in 70 kilograms from the next major competition.
"I am still in my weight category. I weigh 75-80 kgs. I am still in my weight category. I am thinking of competing in the 70 kgs from Commonwealth Games 2026 onwards," he concluded.
Railways stamped their authority on the 8th Elite Women's National Boxing Championship, defending their title in emphatic fashion with nine medals in total, as all five of their finalists clinched gold at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex on Thursday. Haryana finished second with six medals, including two golds and a string of silver medals, while All India Police (AIP) came in third with seven medals, including one gold.
Throughout this week-long tournament, which adhered to the World Boxing Technical & Competition Rules, 188 boxers from 24 state units competed across ten weight categories. Overall, Railways secured five golds and four bronzes. Second-placed Haryana achieved two golds, three silvers, and one bronze. Meanwhile, the All India Police accumulated one gold, four silvers, and two bronzes.
Furthermore, Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh announced a Rs 50,000 cash prize for the championship's top performers, with Jaismine Lamboria of Services Sports Promotion Board winning Best Boxer and Simranjit Kaur of Punjab named Best Challenger. Laxmi was awarded Best Referee, while Rekha Swami took home Best Judge.
Leading Railways' charge, Anamika and Nupur successfully defended their national crowns. Anamika, the reigning light flyweight champion, defeated Haryana's Tamanna with a unanimous vote, while heavyweight queen Nupur similarly overpowered All India Police's Kiran to claim back-to-back titles. Sonia Lather, last year's 57kg gold medallist, proved her versatility by moving up to 60kg and sealing victory with a 4:1 split decision over AIP's Sanju. Sanamacha Chanu continued her dominant run with a 5:2 win over Haryana's Saneh, while Muskan ended Punjab's Anjali's hopes with a first-round stoppage.
Services delivered a flawless campaign, with Jaismine Lamboria and Sakshi ensuring a 100 percent win record for their unit. Jaismine, unstoppable throughout the tournament, delivered another commanding performance, outclassing Haryana's Priya at 5:0 to take the featherweight crown. Sakshi made quick work of Abha Singh, securing an RSC R1 win to wrap up a perfect campaign for Services.
Haryana's Pooja Rani, last year's 75kg champion, stepped up to 80kg and denied AIP's Lalfakmawi Ralte a gold medal for the second consecutive time. Neeraj Phogat added to Haryana's tally with a gritty 4:3 win over Simranjit Kaur in the 60-65kg division. Minakshi ensured a gold for All India Police, after she opened the day with a successful title defence, which concluded in a 5:0 win over Sikkim's Yasika Rai.
Joining the occasion, Olympian and World Championship Bronze Medallist Nishant Dev extended his support, inspiring the young boxers as they prepared to make their mark on the national stage.
Final Results
45-48kg - Gold: Minakshi (AIP), Silver: Yasika Rai (SIK), Bronze: Sanjana (DEL), Rajni (RSPB)
48-51kg - Gold: Anamika (RSPB), Silver: Tamanna (HAR), Bronze: Kalaivani S (TN), Sunita (RAJ)
51-54kg - Gold: Sakshi (SSCB), Silver: Abha Singh (AIP), Bronze: Savita (RSPB), Aarti Dhariyal (UTK)
54-57kg - Gold: Jaismine (SSCB), Silver: Priya (HAR), Bronze: Vishakha Varitya (PUN), Poonam (RSPB)
57-60kg - Gold: Sonia Lather (RSPB), Silver: Sanju (AIP), Bronze: Poonam Kaithwas (MAH), Aparajita Mani (UP)
60-65kg - Gold: Neeraj Phogat (HAR), Silver: Simranjit Kaur (PUN), Bronze: Alena Devi (MAN), Sonu (AIP)
65-70kg - Gold: Sanamacha Chanu (RSPB), Silver: Saneh (HAR), Bronze: Imroz Khan (AIP), Lalita (RAJ)
70-75kg - Gold: Muskan (RSPB), Silver: Anjali (PUN), Bronze: Shweta (RAJ), Anju (CHD)
75-80kg - Gold: Pooja Rani (HAR), Silver: Lalfakmawi Ralte (AIP), Bronze: Anupama (RSPB), Pranshu Rathore (CHD)
80+kg - Gold: Nupur (RSPB), Silver: Kiran (AIP), Bronze: Ipsita Vikram (UP), Priyanka Tewatia (HAR).