Turkish boxing star Buse Naz Çakıroğlu, an Olympic silver medalist and reigning European and world champion, advanced to the women’s 51-kilogram semifinals at the 2025 World Boxing Championships on Thursday night.
The M&S Bank Arena crowd witnessed one of the tournament’s marquee clashes as Çakıroğlu met India’s Zareen Nikhat, herself a two-time world champion and one of the division’s most respected fighters.
Billed as a match worthy of the final, the contest lived up to expectations.
Çakıroğlu, though forced to steady herself after receiving a warning in the second round, kept her rhythm and adjusted tactics.
She dictated the pace with clean counters and controlled exchanges, earning a unanimous 5-0 decision that underscored her poise under pressure.
For Çakıroğlu, the triumph extended her already glittering record on the global stage.
She secured gold at the 2022 Worlds in Istanbul, took silvers in 2019 and earlier this year in Belgrade, and with Thursday’s win guaranteed herself a fourth world medal.
Each of those appearances has solidified her reputation as one of the most consistent and formidable athletes in modern women’s boxing.
The 29-year-old now turns her focus to Saturday’s semifinal against Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova, a rising contender known for her aggressive style.
A victory would book Çakıroğlu’s place in another world championship final and put her within touching distance of reclaiming gold for Türkiye.
“It was a very tough match,” Çakıroğlu said afterward, reflecting on her quarterfinal win. “My goal is to return to Türkiye as the champion with a gold medal. I faced a valuable athlete who is a two-time world champion. This was a match of final caliber. I want to thank my coaches, physiotherapist, and everyone who contributed to this success. As a team, we are doing our very best. There are always setbacks, but our target is always the gold medal.”
Her comments revealed both the pressure of the moment and the collective effort behind her achievements.
Çakıroğlu has long emphasized the importance of her coaching staff and federation support, underscoring that her success is not just personal but part of a broader vision to raise Turkish boxing’s international profile.
This latest milestone also comes with symbolic weight: no Turkish woman has achieved more in the sport, and her sustained success has inspired a new generation of athletes back home.
The Turkish Boxing Federation President Suat Hekimoğlu, present in Liverpool, hailed her victory as a testament to the nation’s growing prominence in the ring.
