Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen kept India’s hopes high at the World Boxing Championships, advancing to the women’s 51kg quarterfinals with a commanding 5-0 win over Japan’s Yuma Nishinaka on Tuesday.
Nishinaka, struggling to match Nikhat’s sharpness, was docked two penalty points for excessive clinching in a bid to disrupt the Indian star’s rhythm.
The opening round saw some resistance from the Japanese boxer, but Nikhat, playing her first international tournament of the year, quickly took control and never looked back.
The 29-year-old had earlier marked her international return in style, outclassing USA’s Jennifer Lozano in the opening round with another clean 5-0 verdict, showing no signs of rust despite her time away.
India, which has sent a 20-member squad to the inaugural event organised by the World Boxing governing body, saw mixed fortunes elsewhere.
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While three more women are just one win away from securing podium finishes and five others await their pre-quarterfinal bouts, several men’s boxers bowed out on Monday night.
Sachin (60kg) lost 1-4 to Kazakhstan’s Biibars Zhexen, Sumit (75kg) suffered a 0-5 defeat against Bulgaria’s Rami Kiwan, and Narender (90+kg) went down 1-4 to Italy’s Diego Lenzi.
In the women’s 65kg category, Neeraj Phogat produced a spirited display but narrowly lost 2-3 to England’s Sacha Hickey.
As the tournament heads into its decisive stages, Nikhat remains India’s standout performer, underlining her intent for yet another world title.
