Haryana Boxers to Miss Cash Rewards as International Boxers Skip Noida World Cup

Boxers representing Haryana can look forward to a disappointing finish in the finals of World Boxing Cup Finals 2025, underway at Noida, despite victories as they will fall short of state cash awards since they don't have enough international appearances. The November 16-20 competition at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex has witnessed withdrawals of foreign boxers after pollution advisories for the NCR region.

Unmet Policy Requirements

The reward criteria of the Haryana Sports Department require nothing less than participation from seven countries to enable athletes to qualify for cash prizes. With no foreign boxers, several bouts do not fulfill this requirement, and winners are denied financial recognition from the state.

Beyond the immediate cash awards, the concerned boxers are also excluded from government-sponsored benefits like grading, employment, promotion, and sports awards; thus, this is a huge setback for such athletes who have undergone serious training for this competition.

Limited International Field

Only 44 international boxers are competing across 10 women's weight categories, compared to 65 that participate in the men's section. As many as five weight categories have only three to four competitors, greatly reducing the competitive depth and international character of the tournament.

Local boxing associations and coaches attribute this to pollution in NCR, citing the absence of strongly represented England and Australia teams especially. The explanation according to the Boxing Federation of India is different though.

"Only the top eight players are invited to such tournaments. There are no issues with the management or venue," said Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Chaudhary Pramod Kumar Yugal, suggesting that participation levels reflect international ranking systems rather than environmental concerns.

Haryana's Strong Contingent

Several leading boxers of Haryana are taking part in nine categories to showcase the state's boxing skills. Among the prominent participants are Jasmine Lamboria (57kg), Praveen Hooda (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (65kg), Sweety Bora (75kg), Pooja Rani Bohra (80kg), Hitesh Gulia (men's 70kg), Ankush Panghal (80kg), Jugnu Ahlawat (85kg) and Narendra Berwal (90kg).

Policy Reform Demands

The boxing associations have been raising the demand to change the reward policy of the state government, arguing that ranking-based tournaments inherently restrict foreign entries. It is not fair, they argue, to punish athletes for factors related to participation that are beyond their control when selection itself is an indication of being among the best.

The apprehensions were somewhat acknowledged by Gaurav Gautam, Haryana's Sports Minister, who said the government was going through submissions from players and associations. "A decision will be taken soon," he said, offering hope that adjustments to policy might yet benefit current or future competitors.

The issue also points to tensions between upholding high standards for rewards versus recognizing athletic achievement under imperfect conditions.