Reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen advanced into the quarter-finals of the women’s light flyweight 50kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday. In her bout at the CWG, the in-form Nikhat Zareen, who won the world championships and Strandja memorial gold earlier this year, outclassed Mozambique’s Helena Ismael Bagao at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull to prevail by RSC (referee stops contest).
Nikhat Zareen will face Welsh boxer Helen Jones in the Birmingham 2022 boxing quarter-finals. With Bagao trying to catch Nikhat Zareen out early, the Indian capitalised on the openings and gave a flurry of right hooks on her opponent. Swift footwork also allowed the Indian boxer to stay out of the Bagao’s reach. Zareen completed the first round with a series of 1-2 punches and appeared firmly in possession of her bout. It was a matter of match management for the Indians in the third and final round and Zareen steered through with comfort. Such was the Indian’s sovereignty that the referee stopped the bout with 40 seconds left and handed Zareen a triumph.
Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain (70kg) cruised to the quarterfinals of the women’s light middle weight category with an easy 5-0 win against Ariana Nicholson at the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.
Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina outpunched the New Zealand pugilist Ariana Nicholson in the 70kg competition. The Indian used her long reach to good effect as she out tired out her opponent, who is 15 years her senior. Meanwhile, Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg), a bronze medallist in the last CWG in 2018, defeated young Amzolele Dyeyi of South Africa with the same margin in the men’s featherweight (57kg) category to move to the pre-quarterfinals.
Lovlina, who was knocked out in the first round in Gold Coast edition, attacked from the word go, using a combination of punches.