India, with three confirmed medals, is tied for fourth place in the medals tally at the prestigious tournament, behind hosts Uzbekistan (9), Cuba and Russia (6 each), and Kazakhstan (5).

Silver medalist at the 2019 Asian Championships Deepak Kumar (51kg) will head India’s charge for the gold when he faces the two-time bronze medalist at the World Championships, France’s Billal Bennama.

In his second World Championships appearance, the 26-year-old Indian has recorded three wins by unanimous decision and defeated the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossanov, in the Round of 32.

Deepak will give his all to reach the final, where he will face either Olympic gold medalist Hasanboy Dusmatov or incumbent European champion Martin Molina of Spain. Deepak is hoping to maintain his stellar form.

Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg) will enter the arena against Cuba’s Saidel Horta with the goal of advancing to the tournament’s final in his first World Championships appearance.

The two-time bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games has elevated his performance to the utmost level to win all of his matches thus far.

Hussamuddin, a veteran competitor from Telangana, could face 2021 World Championships silver medalist Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan or Munarbek Seitbek-Uulu of Kyrgyzstan if he advances to the championship match.

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One of India’s up-and-coming boxers, Nishant Dev (71kg), will face the defending Asian champion, Aslanbek Shymbergenov (Kazakhstan), in the semi-finals. Nishant Dev’s quarterfinal finish at the last World Championships guarantees him a medal at the current competition.

The boxer from Karnal has demonstrated his superior skill through his world-class performances by earning three wins by unanimous decision and one by the referee halting the fight (RSC) to date.

The 22-year-old will be determined to advance to the finals and compete against either the two-time Asian champion Saidjamshid Jafarov of Uzbekistan or the 2018 South American champion Wanderson de Oliveria of Brazil.

538 boxers from 107 countries, including a number of Olympic medalists, are participating in the ongoing competition. The gold medalists will receive USD 200,000 in prize money, the silver medalists will receive USD 100,000, and the bronze medalists will each receive USD 50,000.

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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.

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