Nikhat Zareen enters final, 2 others sign off with bronze at World Championships

New Delhi, May 18

Debutant Nikhat Zareen was the lone Indian to enter the final, while two others signed off with the bronze medals in the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul today.

Zareen made short work of Brazil’s Caroline De Almeida in the 52kg category to notch up a dominant 5-0 win. However, Manisha Moun (57kg) and debutant Parveen Hooda (63kg) settled for the bronze.

While Moun lost to the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Irma Testa of Italy by a 0-5 unanimous decision, Hooda went down by a 1-4 split verdict to the European Championships bronze medallist Amy Broadhurst.

Zareen, who is a former junior world champion, stayed calm and completely dominated her rival in the last-four bout. The 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist Moun, competing in her second Worlds, tried hard to outdo her technically superior opponent with her power punches but Testa defended superbly.

“My strategy today was to not let her play her natural game, and instead, make her adjust to my game. That was the strategy, and I adopted it successfully. I’m now looking forward to returning home with the gold medal,” Nikhat said after her victory.

Six-time champion MC Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC are the only Indian women boxers to have won the Worlds, and now the Hyderabad-based Zareen has an opportunity to join the elite list.

India’s best performance in the event came in 2006 when the country won eight medals, including four gold, one silver and three bronze.