World Boxing Championships 2023: Nikhat Zareen wins her 2nd Gold medal, joins Mary Kom in elite Indian list

New Delhi, Mar 26 :  Nikhat Zareen won her second Women’s World Boxing Championships Gold medal on Sunday, March 26. The 26-year-old defeated Thi Tham Nguyen of Vietnam in the 50kg final via a unanimous decision (5-0) to defend her title at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi.

Nikhat was unfazed by Thi Tham Nguyen, a two-time Asian gold medalist, who made history in New Delhi by becoming the first female boxer from her country to reach the world meet final. It was a toe-to-toe battle as Nikhat and Thi Tham traded blows after a dominant start from Nikhat.

Nikhat fended off a strong comeback from Thi Tham in the second round to win the final by unanimous decision (5-0) and took home the Gold medal for the second successive year.

Nikhat has become only the 2nd Indian female boxer after Mary Kom to win multiple gold medals at the IBA Women’s World Championships. Mary, who won the Olympics Bronze in London, scripted history by winning 6 World Championships gold medals with her last coming in New Delhi in 2018.

This was also India’s third Gold medal at the World Championships at home. On Saturday, Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and Saweety Boora (81kg) won the gold medals in their respective weight categories to bring joy to home fans.

NIKHAT STEPS UP IN BIG FINAL

Nikhat, who won Gold in the women’s 52kg category in Istanbul last year, dominated the opening round, landing her punches and swaying away from attacks. She won the first round by unanimous decision 5-0.

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However, Thi Tham gave Nikhat a stiff test in the second round, bringing delight to the crowd that had gathered to watch high-octane bouts on the final day of IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi. It was the Vietnamese boxer, who took the second round 3-2.

Both boxers upped the ante in the winner-takes-all final round. Nikhat was more aggressive than before, willing to have a go at the Vietnamese boxer. The home crowd rejoiced when Thi Tham was given a countdown. However, Thi Tham went for counter-attack and had Nikhat get a countdown toward the end of the third round.

There were nerves at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall as both boxers returned to the middle of the ring for the results. In the end, it was Nikhat, who took home the Gold with a unanimous 5-0 win by points.

Nikhat Zareen’s rise in the Indian boxing scene has been stunning over the last 12 months. The 26-year-old, who had to emerge out of Mary Kom’s shadows, won her maiden World Championships title in Istanbul in 2022, becoming only the 5th woman from the country to reign supreme at the world meet.

Nikhat also won the prestigious Strandja Memorial tournament in 2022 to announce her arrival at the biggest stage. It was no surprise when the Hyderabad boxer went on to win a Gold medal fora India the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year.

-PTI