Nikhat & Nitu shine, reach semifinals

New Delhi, February 24

Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen and Nitu entered the semifinals of the 73rd Strandja Memorial boxing tournament but two other Indians bowed out after the preliminary stage losses.

While Zareen defeated England’s Charley Davison 5-0 in the 52kg category, Nitu pulled off an equally impressive victory in her 48kg clash against Italy’s Roberta Bonatti by the same margin.

The 25-year-old Zareen had won a gold medal in the 2019 edition of the event.

With the two entering the semis, India are now assured of three medals at Europe’s oldest boxing tournament. On Tuesday, Nandini (+81kg) confirmed the first medal for the country. Earlier, Sumit Kundu (75kg) and Anamika (50kg) lost their respective preliminary stage bouts.

While Sumit went down 0-5 to the reigning world and European champion Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in the pre-quarterfinals, Anamika lost 1-4 to Algeria’s Roumaysa Boualam in the last-eight stage on Wednesday.

Amid the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, there was some confusion regarding the Ukrainian boxers’ participation. However, a member of the Indian contingent cleared the air. “So far, we have not noticed any impact of the conflict here. Ukrainian boxers competed yesterday and they are competing even today, the weigh-ins have been completed this morning,” the source told PTI over the phone. —