• Grand opening ceremony of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships gave a warm welcome to athletes from all 5 continents
• Hundreds of the planet’s top women boxers will compete at the women’s boxing showpiece, with first bouts starting tomorrow, 16 March
• Fans came out in force at the 6,000-capacity D. Jadhav Indoor Hall to welcome the flag bearers and give the teams a great emotional boost for the next 10 competition days

The International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships gets underway on Wednesday, with New Delhi giving warm welcome to participants and spectators at the grand opening ceremony.

A spectacular show was preceded by the nations’ parade where the flag bearers from 65 participating nations were cheered by the public. An icon of women boxing in India and around the globe, six-time World Champion Mary Kom pronounced the athlete’s oath. Rich Indian culture and tradition were showcased at the podium in front of fascinated spectators. The show was eye-catching, but tomorrow the arena will host even more breathtaking action, as the first athletes are going to start their campaigns in New Delhi.

Top boxers will compete across 12 weight categories at the highly anticipated event, which will take place from 15-26 March 2023 and offer medallists a lucrative prize fund of US$2.4m.

Fans are expected to turn out in force at the 6,000-seat K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall to support local athletes who will come up against big-name boxers from across the globe.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif, Argentina’s Aldana Florencia Lopez, Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira and Caroline De Almeida, Colombia’s Ingrit Lorena Valencia Victoria, Italy’s Irma Testa, Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova, Mozambique’s Alcinda Helena Panguana and Rady Adosinda Gramane, Morocco’s Khadija Mardi are among the medallists from the 2022 World Championships who will be going for glory.

Additionally, an electric atmosphere is guaranteed with India set to be represented in the ring by the likes of Nikhat Zareen, who won the flyweight gold at last year’s World Championships, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games minimumweight gold medal-winner Nitu Ghanghas, and Lovlina Borgohain, who won a welterweight bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“For the world’s top women boxers, the waiting is finally over, and there is great excitement as New Delhi prepares to provide a warm welcome as it stages a landmark edition of the IBA Women’s World Championships,” IBA Secretary General and CEO George Yerolimpos said.

“We are anticipating an exceptionally high standard of competition in New Delhi, given the medal-winners from previous major events who are ready to step into the ring. This is also an outstanding opportunity for the home country’s top boxers to go up against top-tier athletes from across the world as they look to cement India’s reputation as a powerhouse nation in women’s boxing.”

As part of its efforts to champion women athletes and drive the development of women’s boxing, the IBA Women and Sport Conference will also take place on March 24 in New Delhi, on the eve of the finals of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.

The overarching theme of the conference will be ‘Level Canvas – Equal Opportunities’, with numerous expert speakers lined up to discuss strategies to break down the barriers to women’s participation in sport.

Share on Facebook

Tweet