Nikhat Zareen sails into World Boxing Championship quarter-finals

While three other Indian boxers Meenakshi, Jadumani, and Abhinash also advanced to the top eight spots at the inaugural tournament in Liverpool.

Competing in her first international tournament since the Paris Olympics, Nikhat endured a scrappy women's 51kg pre-quarterfinal contest against the spirited 21-year-old Japanese boxer. Despite the unanimous scoreline, Nishinaka provided stiff resistance and troubled the Indian with constant clinching throughout the bout.

The 29-year-old Indian started aggressively alongside her opponent, with both boxers surging forward with intent. While Nikhat landed some early hooks, the opening round was fragmented by repeated tangles, allowing Nishinaka to edge it 3-2 on the judges' scorecards.

Nikhat's Championship Experience Shows

The two-time world champion demonstrated her experience in the second round, adjusting her strategy and landing cleaner shots while Nishinaka continued attempting to tie her up by hooking her arm around the Indian's neck. Nikhat responded with sharper counters, convincingly taking the round 4-1.

The pattern continued in the final three minutes, with referee penalizing Nishinaka twice for excessive holding and persistent clinching. This penalty cost the Japanese boxer two crucial points, further tilting the contest in Nikhat's favor. The Indian boxer maintained her advantage throughout, grinding out the victory to stay on course for a third World Championships medal.

Quarter-Final Challenge Awaits

Nikhat now faces her toughest challenge yet in the quarter-finals against Turkey's Buse Naz Cakiroglu, a two-time Olympic silver medallist and 2022 world light flyweight champion. This highly anticipated matchup promises to be one of the most competitive bouts of the tournament, with both boxers having impressive credentials on the global stage.

Indian Boxing Surge Continues

The positive news for Indian boxing continued as Meenakshi Hooda secured her quarter-final berth in the women's 48kg category with a dominant 5-0 victory over China's Wang Qiuping in her tournament debut. Fresh off a silver medal at the Kazakhstan World Cup, Meenakshi impressed with her commanding performance against the Chinese boxer.

Jadumani Singh advanced to the men's 50kg quarter-finals, while Abhinash Jamwal progressed in the men's 65kg division after his earlier unanimous 5-0 victory over Mexico's Hugo Barron in the Round of 16. The World Boxing Cup silver medallist outclassed his Mexican opponent to keep India's medal hopes alive in the men's competition.