The official draw ceremony for the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships has been held, showing boxers who they must defeat if they wish to become a World champion.

Held at Hotel Nais in the host city of Niš, Serbia, a total of 239 boxers were confirmed from 51 countries across 12 weight divisions.

The draw revealed some fascinating opening round contests, as well as the route to the finals for some former world champions.

Türkiye brings three World champions – and Buse Naz Cakiroglu will enter the 52kg tournament in the last 16, facing the winner of Wei Sitong of China and Moldova’s Maia Odajiu. From there, the semi-finals could see the Olympic silver medallist meet home favourite and fifth seed Dragana Jovanovic, fourth seed Bulgarian Venelina Valentinova Poptoleva, or perhaps Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva. Seeded opponents who could meet her in the final include Yulia Apanasovich of Belarus and Asian champion Feruza Kazakova of Uzbekistan.

Busenaz Surmeneli, an Olympic gold medallist and two-time World champion, will look to make it three in Serbia in the 66kg division – first meeting either Kenya’s Friza Asiko or Tamara Kubalova of Slovakia. Potential semi-final opponents include Serbian Anastasija Lukajic and Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Pineiro Aquino. A strong other side of the draw could see the Turkish boxer face 2023 medallist Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova – who first needs to defeat European Games medallist Grainne Walsh of Ireland in the opening round.

Several intriguing ties are to take place in the opening round of the 66kg category, with European Championships runner-up Albina Moldazhanova of Russia meeting 2023 World bronze medallist Zhou Pan of China; while Asian U-22 champion Zhasmin Kizatova from Kazakhstan faces Cape Verde’s African champion Ivanusa “Nancy” Moreira.

Olympic silver medallist Hatice Akbas, the third of the Turks returning, will be part of a competitive 54kg tournament and will get her campaign started against Miraida Tashpolotova of Kyrgyzstan and could meet Russian opposition in Karina Tazabekova in the last eight. In the semi-finals, potential opponents include young Asian champion Natnicha Chongprongklang from Thailand and Venezuelan second seed Johana Gomez.

The other side of the draw sees Sara Cirkovic, who may be Serbia’s best chance of winning gold on home soil, as well as three-time world medallist Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan and African champion and top seed Widad Bertal of Morocco.

Lisa O’Rourke is seeking a second World title, with the unseeded Irish boxer beginning in the last 16 of the 70kg tournament against Emili Rzayeva of Azerbaijan. A tricky quarterfinal could arise as she faces the winner of the match between World youth champion Oysha Toirova and African champion Saida Lahmidi of Morocco. Asian champion Natalia Bogdanova of Kazakhstan is a potential final four opponent. On the other side of the draw, world medallists Sema Caliskan of Turkey and top seed World silver medallist Kaye Scott from Australia could meet in the second round and will be amongst the favorites to make the final on that side of the draw.

Wang Lina, China’s 2018 World champion, is seeking a fourth medal at this event. She is in the draw for the 75kg tournament and will first face IBA-Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata or Greek Vasiliki Stavridou. The experienced Anastasia Shamonova from Russia could meet her in the semi-finals, while three-time European champion Aoife O’Rourke of Ireland is among the contenders on the other side for the final, as is world bronze medallist Nadezhda Ryabets of Kazakhstan.

One of Kazakhstan’s greatest female boxers, two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medallist Nazym Kyzaibay, returns in the 48kg division and starts against Slovakian Nicole Durikova in the last 16. In the semi-finals, Bulgarian Sevda Asenova, a World bronze medallist, looks likely to meet her. Uzbek top seed and Asian champion Farzona Fozilova and African Games silver medallist Rabab Cheddar of Morocco are some of the favorites on the top half of the draw.

IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships kicked off on 9 March and is live streamed fully on the IBA YouTube channel. All draws, schedules and results are available on IBA website. Photos can be found on IBA Flickr channel.

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Media contacts:

Elena Sobol, Head of Communications and PR, International Boxing Association: elena.sobol@iba.sport