Tag Archives: Nikhat Zareen – Boxer – Telangana

After Paris heartbreak, Nikhat Zareen roars back with World Boxing Cup Finals gold

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Nikhat clinched the women’s 51 kg gold medal at the 2025 World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida.

Nikhat Zareen clinched the 51 Kg gold medal at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025. (Photo Credits: The Bridge)

Greater Noida:

Star Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen has once again captured headlines after winning the gold medal at the 2025 World Boxing Cup Finals on Thursday.

The two-time World Champion delivered a commanding 5–0 victory over Guo Yi-xuan of Chinese Taipei in the women’s 51 kg final, returning to the top of the podium after 32 months.

Her last gold also came on home soil in 2023, when she clinched her second world title at the New Delhi World Championships.

“I always believe in manifestation, so I manifested that this time also, in India, I would repeat that. It’s always a pleasure to play in front of a home crowd, and today I did it,” Nikhat Zareen told the media after her win.

Bouncing back from two consecutive setbacks

Nikhat endured a difficult run in her last two major tournaments, the Paris Olympics and the World Boxing Championships, returning empty-handed from both.

At the Paris Games, competing as the reigning World Champion, she exited in the Round of 16 against eventual champion Wu Yu of China.

Later, at the 2025 World Championships in Liverpool, her first international event of the year, she fell in the quarterfinals to Turkiye’s Buse Naz Cakıroğlu.

Now, she has turned back the clock, returning to winning ways in front of her home crowd and putting behind her the disappointment of missing out on key medals.

“This medal is a big boost for my confidence. After a long time, I reached the final and won the gold. I’m very happy that I can once again compete as a gold medal contender,” Nikhat said, relieved to end her medal drought.

Nikhat also mentioned that she had very little time after the World Championships to prepare for this event. Within days, she shifted to Patiala to join the training camp.

“I spent a few days with my family, but then moved to Patiala for training since the Finals were in India and I didn’t want to disappoint fans. In Patiala, I sparred with boxers across weight categories, from 48 kg to 54 kg and even 57 kg, which helped me a lot,” she added.

Nikhat’s Road to the title

The World Cup Finals, expected to be a top-tier competition with the world’s best eight players in each weight category, did not fully live up to expectations as several major nations skipped the event.

In the women’s 51 kg category, only five boxers participated, which meant Nikhat received a bye in the quarterfinals and secured a medal without stepping into the ring.

Her campaign began in the semifinals against Uzbekistan’s Gulsevar Ganieva, where she won by unanimous decision to enter the final.

However, it wasn’t her most convincing bout, marked by frequent clinches and several clumsy falls near the ropes.

“The first bout was not as good as everyone expected, but I’m happy that I at least won and reached the final after so long,” Nikhat said after the semifinal.

In the final against Guo Yi-xuan, Nikhat looked much more composed, displaying sharper footwork and cleaner punches to seal the title at home.

“Today, I played against a boxer who moves a lot and is a counter-puncher. So I also opted for counter boxing instead of going all-out, which could have disadvantaged me,” Nikhat explained.

Future Plans

Nikhat shared that she often has to travel for training because there is no proper boxing academy near her home, something she now hopes to build herself for upcoming talent from Telangana.

“I mostly have to travel to Pune or IIS for training and don’t have a fixed location. So if the Telangana government allocates land, I will build my own academy where I can train and support rising boxers from the region,” she said.

This win may not carry immense competitive weight due to the limited field, but it has undoubtedly reignited her confidence after a challenging year.

With a packed 2026 season ahead, including major events like the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, Nikhat will aim to use this momentum to elevate her performance further.

Her parting words, “This is just the start, and a lot more has to be done,” reflect the grit and hunger she will need as she prepares to face stronger opponents on the global stage.

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Boxing / by Deepanshu Jain / November 21st, 2025

10 Muslim Faces in Indian Sports after Independence

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INDIA :

Indian Muslim sportspersons

New Delhi :

After the partition and independence of India, the contribution of Muslim faces in Indian sports is a fascinating story. It also sends a clear message that, despite the communal division of the country, all avenues remained open for Muslims in India. The nation saluted talent, not religion. The contribution of Muslims in the field of sports should be the subject of a dedicated book.

However, in this article, we present the 10 most successful Muslim sportspersons of India.

Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan

Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan

Cricket, the most popular sport in the country, has a long list of Muslim players like Ghulam Ahmed, Salim Durani, Abbas Ali Baig, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Farooq Engineer, Syed Abid Ali, Syed Mustafa Hussain, Syed Kirmani, Ghulam Ahmed Hassan, Mohammad Azharuddin, Arshad Ayub, Zaheer Khan, Syed Saba Karim, Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Wasim Jaffer, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, and Sarfaraz Khan.

However, one of the initial cricketers, who happened to be a Muslim and shone like a star, was Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan, known as “Tiger Pataudi”. He became the youngest Test captain in the history of the game. He represented India in 46 Tests and scored 2793 runs.

In March 1962, he became the youngest Test captain at the age of 21 years and 77 days against the West Indies. His notable achievements include leading India to their first overseas Test match victory in New Zealand in 1968, which was also their first overseas Test series win.

Despite losing vision in his right eye in a car accident in England in 1961, Pataudi proved his mettle on the cricket field. Even today, Tiger Pataudi commands the same respect and popularity in Indian cricket as he did in the past.

Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin

Another Muslim cricketer, Mohammad Azharuddin, nicknamed “Indian cricket’s wonder boy,” earned this title right at the beginning of his Test career. In his debut series against England in 1984, he scored three consecutive centuries — a feat yet to be repeated.

Azharuddin played 99 Tests and 334 One Day Internationals for India. As captain, he led the team to victory in the 1990-91 and 1995 Asia Cups and reached the semi-finals of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. He captained India in three Cricket World Cups during the 1990s, which remains a record.

Syed Shahid Hakim

Syed Shahid Hakim receiving award from President Ram Nath Kovind

Once, India was a contender for the top slot in the World Cup Football and the Olympics. Though the situation has deteriorated, the list of Muslim footballers Taj Mohammad, Ahmed Khan, Yusuf Khan, B.P. Saleh, Syed Naeemuddin, Noor Mohammad, Rahmat, T. Abdur Rahman, Mohammad Habib, Mohammad Akbar, and Latifuddin come to the fore.

However, Syed Shahid Hakim comes across as one of the brightest and enduring football player of the post-independent India. He is son of Syed Abdul Rahim, who was once the coach of Indian Football team. A former Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force, S.S. Hakim’s international career highlight was the 1960 Rome Olympics. Although India didn’t progress beyond the group stage, a 1-1 draw against France was nothing short of a feat.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Hakim turned to coaching and later served as an assistant coach of the Indian national team. He was also a FIFA referee and officiated in the 1988 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar.

Mohammad Shahid

Mohammad Shahid

In Hockey, a sport once dominated by India, several Muslim players made a mark on the game, including Akhtar Hussain, Aslam Sher Khan, Mohammad Shahid, and Zafar Iqbal.

Among them, Mohammad Shahid from Banaras earned the most fame. His wizardry in the 1970s and 80s — marked by agility and magical dribbling — turned him into a star at a very young age.

He was part of the team that won gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, silver in the 1982 Asian Games, and bronze in the 1986 Asian Games. He also played in the 1981-82 World Cup, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and the 1988 Seoul Games. He captained the Indian team during 1985-86 and announced his retirement from international hockey in January 1989.

Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza is the only Indian woman to break into the top 100 in singles and later became World No. 1 in doubles in Tennis. She won six Grand Slam titles — three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles.

Between 2003 and her singles retirement in 2013, she won 43 titles and spent 91 weeks as World No. 1 in doubles. Sania also won 14 medals (including six golds) in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Afro-Asian Games. In 2007, she achieved her career-high singles ranking of 27, the highest ever for an Indian woman. In April 2015, she became the World No. 1 in WTA doubles rankings — the first Indian to reach the top.

Syed Modi

Syed Modi

In Badminton, Syed Modi has been the most successful and popular Muslim player. He is regarded as one of the most successful Indian badminton players, winning the National Championship eight consecutive times from 1980 to 1987 — a historic feat.

He also won a gold medal in men’s singles at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games and international titles such as the Austria International (1983 & 1984) and the USSR International (1985). In 1988, Syed Modi was tragically shot dead in Lucknow.

Nikhat Zareen

Nikhat Zareen

Nikhat Zareen is the shining star of Indian women’s Boxing. Nikhat became a boxing sensation after winning gold at the 2011 Women’s Junior and Youth World Boxing Championships. She won silver at the 2019 Asian Championships in Bangkok, gold at the 2022 World Championships in Istanbul, and gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

In 2023, she won another gold at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in New Delhi, becoming only the second Indian woman to achieve the feat twice. She also won bronze at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and secured a quota for India at the Paris Olympics, where she reached the Round of 16 in 2024.

Shama Parveen

Shama Parveen

Indian men and women have dominated Kabaddi in the world. Among Muslim women, the most prominent name Kabaddi layer is Shama Parveen from Bihar, who began her career in 2008.

She has won several honors at different levels. She was part of the Indian team that won gold at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship.

Nasreen Sheikh

Nasreen Sheikh

Nasreen Sheikh of Delhi captained the Indian women’s kho-kho team and became the second player in this sport to receive the Arjuna Award. She led the Indian women’s team in the South Asian Games, where India won gold. She was also part of the Indian team that won the inaugural Kho-Kho World Cup held in January 2025 in New Delhi.

India defeated South Korea, Iran, and Malaysia in the group stage, beat Bangladesh in the quarterfinals, South Africa in the semifinals, and thrashed Nepal 78-40 in the final. For her performance, she was awarded the

Alisha Abdullah

Alisha Abdullah

In Motorsports, Alisha Abdullah stands out among women. Alisha, known as India’s fastest car racer and the country’s first female bike racing champion, was born in Chennai in 1989. She was passionate about racing from a young age. In 2004, she ranked among the top five in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship. With her father’s support, she transitioned from car to bike racing.

However, after a serious accident in 2010 while riding a bike, she returned to car racing. She is the first female motorsports star in the country to receive a Presidential Award.

In Motorsports, Alisha Abdullah stands out among women. Alisha, known as India’s fastest car racer and the country’s first female bike racing champion, was born in Chennai in 1989. She was passionate about racing from a young age. In 2004, she ranked among the top five in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship. With her father’s support, she transitioned from car to bike racing.

However, after a serious accident in 2010 while riding a bike, she returned to car racing. She is the first female motorsports star in the country to receive a Presidential Award.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> The Changemakers / by Aasha Khosa, ATV / August 06th, 2025

Asian Games 2023 boxing: Nikhat Zareen settles for bronze; Parveen Hooda secures Paris 2024 Olympic quota

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

India’s Nikhat Zareen bowed out in the women’s 50kg semi-final after losing 3:2 to Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat. Parveen Hooda is assured a medal in the women’s 57kg.

Nikhat Zareen 
(Boxing Federation of India (BFI))

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen finished her campaign in the women’s 50kg event with a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2023 boxing tournament in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.

Nikhat Zareen lost her semi-final bout against Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat by a 3:2 split decision. Zareen and Raksat faced each other in the quarter-finals of the world championships earlier this year and the Indian boxer had come out on top then.

In Hangzhou, both Nikhat Zareen and Chuthamat Raksat started the bout cautiously, the two only able to land soft punches with measured jabs. In the final round, the Thai boxer managed some decisive hooks to take control and won the bout by the barest of margins.

“My experience was great. I had very good bouts in these Asian Games,” Nikhat said. “Today, unfortunately, I couldn’t win the semi-final match against Thailand. But it’s fine, I will take this as a learning lesson.

“I’ll definitely come back stronger. I’ll learn from my mistakes from this competition, and I definitely look forward to that.”

Earlier in the day, Parveen Hooda made it to the women’s 57kg semi-finals by defeating Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan by unanimous decision. The 23-year-old Indian boxer, by virtue of making the top four, secured a maiden Asian Games medal as well as a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics next year.

However, as National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

Boxing at the Asian Games 2023 is also a Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier event. In men’s events, the gold and silver medallists in each of the seven weight divisions will be issued a quota to Paris 2024. In the women’s categories, four quotas will be on offer for all categories other than the 66kg and 75kg, for which there will be two berths on offer like men’s.

Parveen Hooda will face Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Lamboria missed out on a medal after she lost by RSC (referee stops count) in the women’s 60kg quarters against Ungyong Won of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Indian boxer endured three standing counts in a space of one minute before the referee stopped the bout.

source: http://www.olympics.com / Olympics.com / Home / by Anurag Peesara / October 01st, 2023

Nikhat Zareen receives Arjuna Award

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

Nikhat Zarin receiving the Arjuna Award from President Draupadi Murmu
Nikhat Zarin receiving the Arjuna Award from President Draupadi Murmu

New Delhi:

The newest Indian sportsperson to make a splash on the global scene and the world Boxing champion Nikhat Zareen was conferred the Arjuna Award by president Draupadi Murmu in a glittering ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday.

The President gave away the National Sports Awards 2022 and National Adventure Awards 2021. The National awards are given every year to encourage and honour outstanding sportspersons.

This time, 25 sportspersons were given Arjuna Awards. Telangana sportsperson Nikhat Zarin, who recently won the World Boxing Championship one among them.

She expressed her joy and gratitude at the award on social media.

President Draupadi Murmu awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, 2021 – to Neena Dhakad. She is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse. She accomplished this feat in less than 10 days.

President Murmu presented Dronacharya Award 2022 to Sujit Mann, wrestling coach. He has trained many outstanding racing athletes including Bajrang Punia.

Nikhat Zareen displaying her award

Dronacharya Award was also conferred on Soma Siddharth Shrur, who has trained top shooting athletes including Oni Lekhra, Ishwari Pratap Singh Tomar, and Sunidhi Chauhan; Jeonjot Singh Teja, archery coach. The latter has trained Harvinder Singh, Raj Kaur, Rajat Chauhan, and Maskan Kher.

Raj Singh, the wrestling coach, who was honoured, has trained Yogeshwar Dutt, Sanjay, Ashok Kumar, and Umair.

Bimal Prafla Ghosh, the football coach has also been conferred the Dronacharya award.

Dinesh Jawahar Lad was awarded for his achievements in cricket coaching. He has trained Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Harmeet Singh Budhan, and Sudhish Lad.

BC Suresh received Dhyan Chand 2022 for his achievements in Kabaddi – Gold Medal in World Cup, 2004 and Gold Medal in Asian Games, 2002 –

Dharamveer Singh got the award for his achievements in hockey.

President awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy, 2022 to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar for best all-around performance in sports.

Others who received the award are:

Dhyan Chand Award: Ashwini Akunji Chidananda (Athletics)

Arjuna Award: Jarlan Anika J (Deaf Badminton)

Arjuna Award:  Sopanal Sanjay Patil (para swimming)

Arjuna Award: Tarun Dhillon (Para-Badminton)

Arjuna Award: Parveen (Wushu)

Arjuna Award: Sarita (Wrestling)

source: http://www.awaazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by ATV / posted by Aasha Khosa / January 2023

Nikhat Zareen, Sindhu nominated for BBC ISWOTY Award

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

The athletes were short-listed after a panel of jury, consisting of sports journalists and writers, voted for their preferred players, based on their achievements.

Nikhat Zareen, Sindhu nominated for BBC ISWOTY Award

Hyderabad: 

Reigning boxing world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nikhat Zareen and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu were among five athletes nominated on Monday for the BBC Indian Sportswoman Of The Year (ISWOTY) award.

Others who made the cut were wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who recently staged a protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and accused him of sexual exploitation and intimidation, and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu.

The athletes were short-listed after a panel of jury, consisting of sports journalists and writers, voted for their preferred players, based on their achievements.

The winner will be chosen by a public vote that began on Monday and will continue till February 20 midnight. The winner will be announced on March 5.

Rupa Jha, the Head of India BBC News, announced that they have introduced a new award category — BBC Indian para-sportswoman of the year.

Ekta Bhyan, the 2018 Asian para Games gold medallist, welcomed the move and emphasised on the need to make the stadiums more accessible to the physically challenged athletes.

“The stadiums and swimming pools should be accessible easily for the disabled athletes. Mental barriers need to be broken, about 60 to 70 percent of disabled population is still restricted to homes. More awareness and work is required at grassroots level,” Bhyan, flanked by London Olympics bronze-winning boxer Vijender Singh, said.

“Sports should be a part of education. Why should disabled athletes start their careers at the age of 15 or 16, sport should be accessible to them much earlier and there should be a comprehensive and non-discriminatory policy for disabled,” she added.

Vijender said the women athletes are two steps ahead of their male counterparts and deserve respect more than the awards.

He lamented that the national boxing federation does not keep in touch with boxers like him.

“I know about the current status of boxing as much you (media persons) know. We are not called for even Nationals or other events. I was asked about Indian boxing by Salman Khan and Rahul Gandhi and told them I don’t know because we are not involved,” he said.

He advised that every village in India should have its own multi-sport stadium to encourage youngsters.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Sport / by Telangana Today / February 06th, 2023

Nikhat Zareen Dedicates Thailand Open Semi-final Win to Kargil War Martyrs

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Nikhat Zareen, a former junior world champion, was the only woman boxer to reach the final of Thailand Open.

Nikhat Zareen Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in the semi-final. (Photo Credit: @BFI_Official)
Nikhat Zareen Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong in the semi-final. (Photo Credit: @BFI_Official)

Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) reached the final of International Tournament in Bangkok on Friday and was lone Indian woman to do so while Asian silver-medallist Deepak Singh (49kg) led four men into the summit clashes of the tournament.

Ashish Kumar (75kg), Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Mohammed Husammuddin (56kg) and Brijesh Yadav (81kg) were the other three men to make the gold medal bouts.

Zareen was up against Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong. The Hyderabadi impressed with the ferocity of her punches as she edged past the local favourite 4-1 and let out a scream to express her elation when her hand was raised by the referee.

Zareen later took to Twitter to dedicate her win to the Kargil War martyrs. 20 years ago, India decisively won the Kargil war and regained the territories that were briefly captured by Pakistan. The nation is celebrating the Army’s victory in the historic war.

__________________________________________

Nikhat Zareen
✔@nikhat_zareen

I dedicate my today’s Semi-Final victory at the Thailand Open to our brave soldiers of Kargil war who sacrificed their lives for our country🇮🇳

Nikhat Zareen Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in the semi-final. (Photo Credit: @BFI_Official)
1,654

_________________________________________

Meanwhile, former Asian youth silver-medallist Ashish (69kg) lost his semi-final bout to sign off with a bronze medal. Ashish lost to Thailand’s Wuttichai Masuk in a split decision after an exhausting clash.

Among the women, Manju Rani (48kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) ended with third-place finishes. Manju went down to Chuthamat Raksat of Thailand, while Bhagyabati lost to China’s Li Qian.

Earlier, Deepak hardly broke a sweat against Bhutan’s Tashi Wangdi. The Indian’s dominance was such that Wangdi faced two standing eight counts and was left with a gash above his right eye. The judges eventually ruled unanimously in the Indian’s favour.

Also advancing was Husammuddin (56kg). In a messy slugfest with Thailand’s Ammarit Yaodam, the Indian came out as the more aggressive and clean puncher to emerge triumphant in a 3-2 decision.

In the 75kg category, Ashish defeated Uzbekistan’s Fanat Kakhramnov to make the final.

Brijesh was up against local favourite in Saranon Klompian in the last bout of the day and produced a ferocious performance. A left hook just a minute into the second round sent his opponent crashing and the Thai could not regain his composure after that. Klompian faced three eight counts before the referee stopped the bout in Brijesh’s favour.

(With PTI inputs)

source: http://www.news18.com / News18.com / Home> News> Sports / July 26th, 2019

Amit, Nikhat strike gold at Strandja Memorial Boxing

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi became the first set of Indian women boxers to notch up gold medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Nikhat Zareen claimed a 5-0 win in the 51kg category finals against Filipino Irish Magno. - PHOTO: JSW SPORTS
Nikhat Zareen claimed a 5-0 win in the 51kg category finals against Filipino Irish Magno. – PHOTO: JSW SPORTS

Asian Games gold-medallist Amit Panghal (49kg) on Tuesday claimed a second successive gold at the Strandja Memorial Tournament, in which India’s women boxers also scripted history with a couple of maiden top finishes in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Armyman from Haryana pulled off a dominating 5-0 triumph over Kazakhstan’s Temirtas Zhussupov, who was left with a bleeding forehead at the end of the final bout.

Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari  Devi  became the first set of Indian women boxers to notch up gold medals at the prestigious tournament, which is into its 70th edition.

In all, India signed off with three gold, a silver, and three bronze medals in this edition of the event, which marks the beginning of the European boxing calendar.

Zareen, a multiple-time national medallist, claimed a 5-0 win in the 51kg category finals against Filipino Irish Magno, while Devi got the better of Aira Villegas 3-2, also from the Philippines, in the bantamweight (54kg) summit clash.

The previous best by an Indian woman boxer at the event was the silver won by the legendary M.C. Mary Kom last year.

“I dedicate this medal to the martyrs of the Pulwama terror attack. It was a very sad day for us as a country,” Zareen told PTI over the phone from Sofia referring to last week’s terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, Manju Rani (48kg) settled for a silver after going down to another Filipino in Josie Gabuco in a split 2-3 verdict.

In a commanding performance, Zareen out-maneuvered Magno with a rock solid defence. Although the bout seemed closer than the final score-line, Zareen pulled it off by denying her rival a clear shot.

“My entire thought process in the bout was to never give up. My opponent had beaten Pinki Jangra in the first round and I just wanted to prove that I could get the better of her,” Zareen said.

“This win is also my response to all those who doubt my ability. I am just emotionally overwhelmed right now,” added the 22-year-old, who was denied a trial before the Asian Games last year despite being fit.

Devi, who won a bronze medal in the previous edition of the prestigious tournament, bettered her podium performance with a gritty show against Villegas.

The Indian battled hard against her aggressive opponent and did well on the counter-attack to edge past the Filipino for a top finish.

On Monday, Pwilao Basumatari (64kg), Neeraj (60kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) had settled for bronze medals after losing their semi-final bouts.

“The key to this success has been stress management. It has been a conscious decision to keep the pressure off them and constantly remind them of their strengths,” said India’s chief coach for women, Mohammed Ali Qamar, who took over the top position only last month.

The country had won 11 medals at the 2018 edition, two of them gold, which was also the country’s best ever performance.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / SportsStar / Home> Boxing / by PTI / New Delhi – February 19th, 2019

Boxing: Fit-again Nikhat Zareen, Sumit Sangwan clinch gold in Belgrade International

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Nizamabad District, TELANGANA  :

Himanshu Sharma bagged the other gold medal in the 49 kg.

Twitter/Nikhat Zareen
Twitter/Nikhat Zareen

Returning to action after a long injury-lay off, Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and Nikhat Zareen (51kg) were among the three gold-medallists in India’s stupendous campaign at the 56th Belgrade International Boxing Tournament in Serbia.

India ended the tournament with three gold, five silver and five bronze medals in all.

Continuing his fine comeback from a wrist injury, Sumit, an Asian silver-medallist, defeated Ecuador’s Castillo Torres in a unanimous 5-0 verdict to claim the top honours on Saturday night.

Former junior world champion Nikhat, also returning to action after recovering from a shoulder injury, notched up a 5-0 win over Greece’s Koutsoeorgopoulou Aikaterini to pick up a morale-boosting gold.

Also claiming a gold was Himanshu Sharma (49kg), who defeated Algeria’s Mohammed Touareg 5-0 in his final bout.

Signing off with silver medals among women were Jamuna Boro (54kg) and Ralte Lalfakmawii (+81kg). While Jamuna lost to local favourite Andjela Brankovic 1-4, Lalfakmawii went down 2-3 to Turkey’s Demir Sennur.

In the men’s draw, Laldinmawia (52kg), Varinder Singh (56kg) and Pawan Kumar (69kg) had to be content with silver medals.

Laldinmawia was beaten 0-5 by Korea’s Kim Inkyn, Varinder lost 2-3 to Brazillian Arilson Goncalves.

Pawan was also defeated in a split verdict, going down 1-4 to Croatia’s Petar Cetinic.

Earlier, Narender (+91kg) had fetched a bronze in the men’s competition. In the women’s competition, Rajesh Narwal (48kg), Priyanka Thakur (60kg), Rumi Gogoi (75kg) and Nirmala Rawat (81kg) had settled for bronze medals.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Field> Indian Sport / Press Trust of India / April 29th, 2018