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New Delhi: Arundhati Choudhary and Preeti Pawar wrote a golden chapter in a remarkable comeback story at the World Boxing Cup 2025 finale on Thursday at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida.
Both boxers contributed to India's gold rush on the final day of the marquee competition by grabbing the top podium spots in their respective categories as the country's women's pugilists opened the day with four gold medals.
Minakshi Hooda started off the proceedings with India's first gold at the marquee event in the 48kg category after brushing aside Uzbekistani boxer Farzona Fozilova 5-0 in the finals.
Preeti followed suit by bagging another gold for the country after a convincing 5-0 win over Italy's Sirine Charaabi in the women's 54kg final. Minutes later, Arundhati Choudhary completed India's hat-trick of golds by defeating Zokirova Aziza from Uzbekistan 5-0 in the women's 70 kg final.
Nupur Sheoran joined the party and clinched the fourth gold of the day with a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan's Sotimboeva Oltinoy in the 80+kg final.
For Arundhati and Preeti, the gold medal-winning performance completed a redemption arc as both boxers came into the tournament following lengthy injury layoffs.
Arundhati endured a torrid period that began before the Paris 2024 Olympics when she suffered a horrific wrist injury that required surgery in early 2025 and a subsequent period of rest. Post surgery, Arundhati spent three months in recovery and rehab before returning to training and making a stunning comeback at the World Boxing Cup Finals.
"It was very difficult to come back after the injury. If I try to put it into words, I can't even explain it properly. I mean, my teammates are going to the World Championship, going to the World Cup, and here I am, sitting in my room, just staring at the fan... and I can't do anything. But now, after one and a half years, I finally got a chance, so I had to do this, and that's what I did," Arundhati told the media after winning the World Cup gold.
Meanwhile, Preeti's decision to compete in the Paris Olympics despite being diagnosed with Hepatitis A a month before the 2024 Games led to her being on complete bed rest for three months. Her extended absence from training and competition due to liver infection took a heavy toll on her body, resulting in weakness and weight loss.
However, after a three-month break, she returned to training, working extensively to rebuild her strength with extra hard sparring and running sessions. Her hard work paid off at the World Cup, but she wants more.
"I'm feeling very good after making a comeback, and I’ve returned even stronger. I will give my best going forward. The Asian Games are coming up in 2026, so I will prepare for that, and my next big target is the LA 2028 Olympics."
Despite missing the World Championship 2025 due to illness, she accepted the challenge and made a remarkable recovery. Preeti thanked all the stakeholders for their support during difficult times.
"It was quite challenging for me. I wasn’t able to give my best in training. I couldn't perform at 100%. But the medical staff, BFI, SAI, and JSW Sports all supported me a lot and fulfilled all my needs. Now I am completely fit."
India entered the final day of the World Boxing Cup 2025 with a record 15 boxers in contention for a gold medal.
