Nikhat storms into quarters of World Boxing Championships

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen continued her march in the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool with a 5:0 win over Japan’s Yuma Nishinaka in the women’s 51kg pre-quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old faced a spirited fight from the Japanese in the opening round but there was no stopping the Indian, who is playing her first international event this year. In fact, the Japanese even received two penalty points for excessive clinching as she tried to break Nikhat’s rhythm.

Advertisement

India has fielded a 20-member contingent at the inaugural World Championships being held under the aegis of the World Boxing, a recently-formed international governing body for boxing.

Three more women boxers are also just a win away from the podium and five more set to take the ring in their respective pre-quarterfinal bouts later in the day.

However, it was the end of the road for Sachin (men’s 60kg), Sumit (Men’s 75kg) and Narender (men’s 90+kg) as they lost their respective bouts late on Monday night.

Sachin went down 1:4 to Biibars Zhexen of Kazakhstan, Sumit lost to Rami Kiwan of Bulgaria 0:5 while Narender’s campaign ended on the wrong side of a 1:4 verdict against Diego Lenzi of Italy.

In the women’s 65kg pre-quarterfinals, Neeraj Phogat’s spirited fight against England’s Sacha Hickey was not enough as she lost 2:3.