Mohali, Chandigarh – 26th February 2026: The Centre Lawn at CGC University, Mohali, transformed into a buzzing boxing arena on Thursday as the opening night of India Knockout Nights delivered high-octane action in front of a packed crowd, with nearly 3000 spectators in attendance.
The first-of-its-kind platform, powered by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in collaboration with professional boxer Neeraj Goyat, featured eight competitive bouts across weight categories and marked a significant step towards building a structured professional boxing ecosystem in India.
The evening kicked off with a thrilling superfly contest between Shiksha and Jyoti, which set the tone for the night. Shiksha emerged victorious after four intense rounds in a bout that kept the crowd engaged from start to finish. The atmosphere remained electric throughout the night, with fans staying on their feet until the final bell.
India Knockout Nights has been conceptualised as a multi-city professional boxing league that will host regular fight nights, providing Indian boxers consistent competitive exposure across divisions and weight categories, while also bringing the sport closer to fans in a live, arena-style format. The initiative aims to address a key gap in Indian boxing by creating a regular competition circuit, giving athletes more opportunities to compete, gain experience, and build sustainable professional careers beyond major multi-sport events.
Several prominent dignitaries were present for the marquee event, including JSW Sports CEO Divyanshu Singh, IIS President Manisha Malhotra along with former India hockey captain Sardar Singh.
Speaking on the initiative, Manisha Malhotra, President, Inspire Institute of Sport, said, “It’s amazing to see such a strong crowd turnout and, more importantly, to see young people in India enjoying boxing up close. This is a great learning experience for all of us, and we know we can keep improving this platform. Our aim is to grow boxing through visibility, talent development, and by creating a real career pathway for Indian athletes. This is a small but important step in the right direction.”
Co-founder of India Knockout Nights, Neeraj Goyat, said, “This was the first edition of IKN, so there was a lot of learning. Trust me, this will only grow bigger. The energy of the crowd was overwhelming. I have been dreaming about being part of a movement like this for a long time, and I’m so glad to finally see it take shape.”
JSW Sports CEO Divyanshu Singh added, “What’s exciting about platforms like India Knockout Nights is that they start building a real competition pathway for Indian boxers. Regular competition is critical for athlete development, and initiatives like this can play a big role in helping the sport grow in the country.”
With a strong opening night and encouraging fan response, India Knockout Nights has signalled the start of what aims to be a long-term platform for Indian boxing, focused on competition, entertainment, and athlete development.
Results:
Deepak Tanwar beat Saksham Singh – Light Heavyweight
Sandeep Nain vs Ankit Kuar (Tie) – Super Middleweight
Gurdeep Singh beat Ritesh Bisht – Exhibition
Shweta beat Nandini – Lightweight
Ashish Siwach beat Kavi Kumar – Super Featherweight
Vikas beat Amit Yadav – Welterweight
Ankit Singh beat Arshdeep Singh – Cruiserweight
Shiksha beat Jyoti – Superfly
About the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS):
Inspire Institute of Sport is one of India’s premier high-performance facilities dedicated to nurturing sporting talent across multiple disciplines. With a commitment to excellence, IIS provides athletes with world-class training, cutting-edge facilities, and mentorship from top coaches and experts, empowering them to achieve their full potential on the global stage.