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Nikhat Zareen entered the next round but it was curtains for Lovlina Borgohain and Hitesh Gulia at the World Boxing Championships
Nikhat Zareen began cautiously before showing her wares. (Agencies)
Star boxers Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain experienced contrasting fortunes on their international return. The two-time world champion advanced while the Tokyo Olympics medallist made an early exit from the World Boxing Championships on Saturday.
Nikhat, who was unseeded and had been sidelined by injury since her second-round exit in Paris last August, looked sharp in her comeback fight in the women’s 51kg division. She easily defeated the USA’s Jennifer Lozano with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision in the round of 32.
In stark contrast, Lovlina, seeded No.1 in the women’s 75kg category, struggled in her opening contest, losing 0-5 against Turkey’s Busra Isildar in the round of 16.
There was disappointment on the men’s side as well, with debutant Hitesh Gulia, a two-time World Cup medallist, crashing out in the 70kg category. Seeded third, Gulia suffered a narrow 1-4 defeat after a late lapse proved costly against Netherlands’ Bos Finn Robert.
Nikhat, 29, showcased her trademark tactical discipline, starting cautiously and struggling to connect in the opening exchanges. However, a crisp combination midway through the first round settled her nerves. From there, she grew in confidence, using her movement to control distance and picking her punches with precision, leaving little doubt on the judges’ scorecards.
Lovlina’s bout, on the other hand, was marred by clinches and lacked rhythm, with neither boxer able to establish control. The Turkish southpaw managed to land occasional scoring blows, while Lovlina struggled with accuracy and was defeated 0-5.
In the men’s 70kg preliminaries, Gulia, who received a first-round bye, entered the contest with impressive credentials, having won gold and silver medals at World Cup events in Brazil and Kazakhstan. Boxing mainly on the counter in the opening round, the 21-year-old moved well around the ring but struggled to land clean scoring punches. He showed greater aggression in the second round to level the scores, setting up a decisive final three minutes.
One minute into the final round, a crucial moment near the ropes turned the bout around. Robert followed a sharp jab with a powerful hook that struck Gulia’s unguarded face, sending him briefly to the canvas and forcing the referee to issue a standing count. Though Gulia recovered and fought on, the damage was done, and the Dutchman closed out the bout.
Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal began his campaign with a hard-fought win, defeating Ireland’s Martin Christopher McDonagh in the men’s +90kg opening bout on Friday night. Narender overcame a sluggish start, struggling with accuracy in the opening round, before finding his range with straight punches in the second and third rounds. His late dominance earned him a 4-1 split-decision victory and a place in the round of 16.
With PTI Inputs
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
September 06, 2025, 20:29 IST
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