Nikhat Zareen, had to settle for bronze at the Asian Games 2023. Competing in her first Asiad, the two-time World champion lost to Thailand’s Rakast Chuthamat 2-3 by a split verdict. With the loss, Zareen’s two-year unbeaten run has come to an end.
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Nikhat Zareen suffers first defeat since 2021
Before the semifinal bout, the in-form Zareen, hasn’t lost a bout since October’s National Championships in 2021. She had even out-punched Chuthamat at the world championships earlier this year. But on Sunday, Chuthamat came well prepared for the Indian pugilist, who has stamped her authority in the international arena.
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After losing the first round on three cards, the Thai boxer cramped Zareen and resorted to clinching every time the Indian tried to mount an attack.
Zareen has enjoyed an incredible run in the past couple of years, winning the prestigious Strandja Memorial boxing tournament, two world championships and the Commonwealth Games. She returns home with not only a bronze but also an Olympic quota.
Meanwhile, Parveen Hooda assured a medal as she entered the semifinal in Women’s 57kg. She moved past Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova by unanimous verdict in the semifnal.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria, however, crashed out of the 60kg contest. She conceding a second round RSC (referee stops contest) to North Korean boxer Won Ungyong in her quarterfinal bout.
Preeti Pawar (54kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg ) and Narender Berwal (+92kg) have already secured medals in their respective categories. In women’s events, the semifinalists in the 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 60kg, as well as the finalists in the 66kg and 75kg, will qualify for the Paris Olympics.
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