National Women’s Boxing Championships : Nikhat Zareen advance to the second round with commanding victory

Hisar: Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (52kg) advanced to the second round of the National Women’s Boxing Championship with a thrashing victory in her first bout in Hisar on Thursday. Telangana representative Zareen, who is also an Asian bronze medalist, outclassed Goa’s Siya Walke in her first-round match to advance.

In the 50kg division, Delhi’s Hemlata defeated Assam’s PS Mantasaha Kumari 4-0. At St Joseph’s International School, Hemlata gave Mantasaha no chance by connecting her jabs with precision and winning the match unanimously.

Another highlight of Day 1 was Maharashtra’s Aarya Kulkarni’s (52kg) faultless performance, which saw the defeat of Arunachal Pradesh’s Yape Bamang 5-0. Kulkarni’s entire dominance was clear from the first round, and she didn’t let up until the last round to claim an easy victory.

More than 320 pugilists from 36 States/Union Territories/Boards from throughout the country compete in the tournament, which is hosted in collaboration with the Haryana Boxing Sangh. Priti Chawan of Goa won the 50kg category by a referee stopping the contest (RSC) decision against Monika Pandey of West Bengal, and Punjab’s Komal blanked Sonia Gauni of Uttarakhand 5-0.

Anjali Sharma (52kg) of Madhya Pradesh and V Vinodhini of Tamil Nadu competed in a nail-biting match. Throughout the bout, both fighters went toe-to-toe, with Anjali narrowly defeating Vinodhini 3-2 in the end.

The gold and silver medalists from the current championships will be invited to a national coaching camp. The final two names for each category’s camp will be chosen based on their performances in the selection trials, which will take place immediately following the Nationals.