Nikhat was unfazed by Thi Tham Nguyen, a two-time Asian gold medallist who made history in New Delhi by becoming her country’s first female boxer to reach the world championship final. After a dominant start by Nikhat, Nikhat and Thi Tham engaged in a head-to-head struggle.

Nikhat held off Thi Tham’s second-round revival to win the final by unanimous decision (5-0) and claim the Gold medal for the second consecutive year.

Consecutive World Championships 🥇 medal for Nikhat Zareen 🇮🇳 😍🔥

Nikhat wins the bout 5️⃣-0️⃣ 🔥💪@AjaySingh_SG l @debojo_m#itshertime #WorldChampionships #WWCHDelhi @Media_SAI @anandmahindra @IBA_Boxing @Mahindra_Auto @saweetyboora @MahindraRise @NehaAnandBrahma pic.twitter.com/IIi22RFjTZ

— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) March 26, 2023

Nikhat is the second Indian woman after Mary Kom to earn multiple gold medals at the IBA Women’s World Championships. Mary, who earned the bronze medal at the London Olympics, has made history by winning six World Championships gold medals, with her most recent coming in 2018 in New Delhi.

This was India’s third gold medal at the World Championships held in its own country. Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and Saweety Boora (81kg) won gold medals in their respective weight classes on Saturday, bringing delight to the home crowd.

NIKHAT STEPS UP IN BIG FINAL

Nikhat, who won Gold in the women’s 52kg division at last year’s Istanbul Games, dominated the opening round by landing punches and avoiding assaults. She won the first round unanimously by a score of 5-0.

On the final day of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, Thi Tham gave Nikhat a tough fight in the second round, much to the delight of the crowd that had gathered to witness high-octane bouts. The Vietnamese boxer won the second round by a score of 3 to 2.

In the winner-take-all final round, both boxers raised the ante. Nikhat was more combative than he had been in the past, willing to challenge the Vietnamese boxer. The home audience cheered when Thi Tham’s number was called. However, Thi Tham opted for a counterattack at the conclusion of the third round by giving Nikhat a countdown.

The KD Jadhav Indoor Hall was tense as both boxers returned to the center of the ring for the results. In the end, Nikhat won the gold medal with a unanimous 5-0 victory by points.

In the past year, Nikhat Zareen’s rise on the Indian boxing landscape has been astounding. The 26-year-old, who had to emerge from Mary Kom’s shadow, claimed her first World Championships title in Istanbul in 2022, becoming only the fifth Indian woman to triumph at the global competition.

Also Read | India’s Nitu Ghanghas wins gold in Women’s Boxing World Championship 2023

In 2022, Nikhat also won the prestigious Strandja Memorial tournament, announcing her entrance on the grandest stage. The fact that the boxer from Hyderabad won a gold medal for India at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year was not unexpected.

The post World Boxing Championships 2023: Nikhat Zareen wins her 2nd Gold medal appeared first on Republic Aeon.

Nikhat Zareen reached the final of the women’s light flyweight (48 kg) division by defeating Colombian bronze medalist Ingrit Valencia by unanimous decision. Nikhat was at her most calculative throughout the entire match, outpunching Valencia in front of her home crowd.

Nikhat, who added a gold medal from the Commonwealth Games to her Strandja Boxing Memorial gold medal in 2022, is making all the proper noise in the year preceding the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Nikhat joins the party 🤩🔥

Wins the bout 5️⃣-0️⃣ to enter the finals 💪

Book your tickets, to not miss the action 🔗:https://t.co/k8OoHXoAr8@AjaySingh_SG l @debojo_m#itshertime #WWCHDelhi #WorldChampionships @IBA_Boxing @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/pFCL2kVY91

— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) March 23, 2023

Thailand’s two-time bronze medalist at the world championships, Chuthamat Raksat, made Nikhat, who has emerged from the shadow of Mary Kom, work hard. After dominating the first two rounds, NIkhat paused in the third round, prompting a review of the fight.

After a few tense moments of anticipation, Nikhat was declared the victor of her quarterfinal match.

On Thursday, Nikhat easily defeated Ingrit, demonstrating her dominance over the rest of the field. In the second round, the unseeded Indian boxer exerted considerable effort against the top seed and African champion from Algeria, Boualam Boumaysa. Nikhat was one of three boxers who did not receive a first-round bye, but she maintained her composure to advance to the final once again.

Nitu Ghanghas, on the other hand, defeated Alua Balkibekova via split decision in her 48kg semi-final bout to advance to the final and give herself an opportunity to win the Gold medal. Nitu, who also won gold at the CWG in Birmingham, placed fifth at the previous global meet in Istanbul.

Notably, Nitu Ghanghas surged back in the second round after losing 2-3 to Kazakhstan’s Alua in the first round. In the final two rounds, the juvenile boxer maintained her composure to outpunch Alua and secure the victory.It was necessary to review Nitu’s semi-final fight because it was so close, notably in the third and final round.

Also Read | Defending champion Iga Swiatek pulls out of Miami Open

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