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Thi Tham made a strong comeback in the second round, but Nikhat held her off to win the final by a unanimous score of 5-0 and won the gold medal for the second consecutive year.
Digital Desk: Nikhat Zareen earned a gold medal in the Women's World Boxing Championships for the second time on Sunday, March 26. At the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi, the 26-year-old successfully defended her championship by winning the 50 kg final by unanimous decision (5-0) over Thi Tham Nguyen of Vietnam.
The two-time Asian gold medalist Thi Tham Nguyen, who made history in New Delhi by being the first female boxer from her nation to compete in the world championship final, had little effect on Nikhat. When Nikhat made a strong start, Thi Tham and Nikhat engaged in a toe-to-toe fight.
Thi Tham made a strong comeback in the second round, but Nikhat held her off to win the final by a unanimous score of 5-0 and won the gold medal for the second consecutive year.
At the IBA Women's World Championships, Nikhat became just the second Indian female boxer, after Mary Kom, to win multiple gold medals. Mary, who took home a bronze medal at the London Olympics, made history by winning six gold medals at the World Championships, the most recent of which she received in New Delhi in 2018.
Moreover, this was India's third gold medal at a home World Championship. To the delight of the home crowd, Nitu Ghanghas (48 kg) and Saweety Boora (81 kg) won the gold medals in their respective weight divisions on Saturday.
NIKHAT STEPS UP IN BIG FINAL
Nikhat, who took first place in the preliminary round of the women's 52kg division last year in Istanbul, dominated the fight by landing her blows and dodging strikes. She prevailed in the opening round with a 5-0 unanimous vote.
On the final day of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, the crowd gathered to see exciting matches was delighted when Thi Tham gave Nikhat a tough test in the second round. The second round was won by the Vietnamese boxer, 3-2.
In the winner-takes-all final round, both boxers raised the stakes. Nikhat was eager to challenge the Vietnamese boxer and was more aggressive than before. When Thi Tham was given a countdown, the home fans erupted in cheers. To counterattack, Thi Tham ordered Nikhat to get a countdown at the conclusion of the third round.
As both boxers returned to the centre of the ring to await the outcome, there were tensions inside the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall. In the end, Nikhat won the Gold with a 5-0 decision victory by points.
Over the past 12 months, Nikhat Zareen has had a meteoric rise in the Indian boxing scene. The 26-year-old, who had to step out from under Mary Kom's spotlight, captured her first World Championships crown in Istanbul in 2022, becoming just the 5th woman from the nation to win the competition.
In 2022, Nikhat also triumphed in the famous Strandja Memorial competition, signalling her entry onto the biggest stage. When the Hyderabad boxer then went on to win a Gold medal for India in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year, it came as no surprise.
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