India Pack a Punch, Dominate Opening Day at Boxam Elite 2026

India’s boxing contingent launched its campaign in emphatic fashion at the Boxam Elite International Tournament 2026 in La Nucía, Spain, delivering a string of commanding performances on the opening day. Facing a competitive field featuring more than 200 boxers from over 20 nations, the Indian squad underlined its medal ambitions early, combining tactical sharpness with controlled aggression across weight categories. The tournament, widely regarded as a key preparatory platform ahead of major global championships, has drawn several strong European and Central Asian boxing nations, making India’s dominant start particularly significant.

Leading the charge were World Boxing Cup Finals winners Hitesh Gulia and Preeti , both of whom advanced with one-sided victories. Competing in the men’s 70kg division, Hitesh defeated Finn Baas of the Netherlands by a unanimous 5–0 verdict, controlling distance, dictating tempo and landing swift combinations while rarely allowing his opponent space to counter. In the women’s 54kg category, Preeti produced an equally clinical display to outbox Aliaskar Symbat of Kazakhstan , using disciplined defence and smart ring movement to secure another 5–0 win.

India’s women continued their impressive run as Prachi (57kg) dominated Spain’s Vanessa Morell in a unanimous decision, while Priya (60kg) blanked Canada’s Alessia Mansuetto with clean, straight punching. Kajal (65kg) was tested more sternly but showed resilience to edge past another Kazakh opponent on a 4–1 split, highlighting India’s depth even in closely fought contests.

The men’s squad mirrored that momentum. Sachin (60kg) earned a shutout win, while Mohammed Husamuddin prevailed 4–1 in a high-tempo bout against Denmark’s Mathias . Abhi Nash Jamwal (65kg) delivered a clean sweep, and Deepak , Akash , and Ankush each advanced with convincing 4–1 victories. The only setback came when Aditya Pratap Yadav bowed out after a loss to England’s Joe Turner .

With multiple unanimous wins and composed displays under pressure, India has firmly established itself as a major contender at the tournament, with several boxers now looking well-positioned for deep runs in their respective brackets.