Women's World Championships: Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen scripts history
Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen has won the gold medal in the 52kg category at the Women's World Championships. The 25-year-old rising star overcame Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas in the fly-weight final in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday. With this win, Zareen has become only the fifth Indian women's boxer after Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL, and Lekha KC to win a gold at the event.
Nikhat sealed the deal, with the judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in her favor. She was in top form and covered to court well, bringing her technical superiority into play. She maintained her dominance, taking full advantage of her long reach. Jutamas did offer a fight back but it wasn't enough. Nikhat was too powerful for her opponent.
Six-time champion Mary Kom won the event in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2018. In between, Sarita Devi won the gold in 2006, Jenny RL in 2006, and Lekha KC also in 2006. This was India's first gold medal since Kom in 2018.
"I am very happy & proud of her. Inshallah, step by step she will reach the Olympic Games," said Nikhat Zareen's mother Parveen Sultana to ANI, after her daughter won gold at the Women's World Boxing Championships.
Earlier, Nikhat reached the final after pulling off a comprehensive 5-0 win against Brazil's Caroline De Almeida in the 52kg semi-final. In the quarters, she defeated England's Charley-Sian Davison 5-0 to assure India a medal. In the pre-quarters, Nikhat had made light work of her Mongolian rival Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg to reach the last eight. She had overcome Mexican Fatima Herrera in the opening round.
"Winning a medal at the world's is always a dream and Nikhat could achieve it so early is extremely commendable. We, at BFI, are proud that our boxers have not only made all of us proud but each of their boxing journeys is inspiring for the upcoming generations," BFI President Ajay Singh said.
India ended up with three medals at the boxing event. Manisha (57kg) and Parveen (63kg) signed off with bronze medals after their semi-finals finish. Around 310 boxers from 73 countries took part as the competition marked the 20th anniversary of the Women's World Championships.
A total of 12 Indian boxers participated in the competition. Notably, eight of them made it to the quarter-finals. This was the joint-highest tally alongside Turkey. The nation's overall medals tally has gone up to 39. It includes10 gold, eight silver, and 21 bronze across 12 editions. It's the third-highest after Russia (60) and China (50).
Nikhat won the silver medal at Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament held in Bangkok in 2019. She has won two gold medals at Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament held in Bulgaria in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
