Bartwal will meet Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan in the second round.
| Photo Credit: X@BFI_official
Pawan Bartwal gave a strong performance to beat Brazilian Michael Douglas Da Silva Trindade 3-2 in an intensely fought opening round men’s 55kg contest on the inaugural day of the World boxing championships, being organised under the banner of World Boxing for the first time, in Liverpool on Thursday.
Bartwal will meet Asian Games bantamweight gold medallist and 2019 featherweight champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan in the second round on Sunday.
In a fast exchange of punches, Bartwal relied on his accurate shots to take a 3-2 lead in the first three minutes despite Trindade executing some quick combinations well.
The Brazilian raised the tempo with a more attacking approach and showcased his range, including jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts, to catch up. The Indian withstood the pressure with his solid and well-directed blows in the action-packed second round, after which the two stood locked at 2-2.
In the decisive third round, Trindade switched stances and threw a barrage of punches at Bartwal, but the Indian remained unruffled and landed some clean punches. In the final minute, Bartwal banked on his endurance and connected several quality shots to impress four of the five judges.
“Pawan relied on his willpower to win and gave it his all in such a tough fight. Being from the armed forces, he is not the one to go on the back-foot. He will meet another strong opponent in his next bout,” said men’s head coach Dharmendra Yadav on the first bout by an Indian in the elite event.
Published – September 04, 2025 07:44 pm IST
