Istanbul : Nikhat Zareen (52kg), Manisha (57kg) and Parveen (63kg) continued their stellar run at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Monday by advancing to the semi-finals but five other Indians bowed out after suffering quarter-final losses. Confirming their first World Championships medals with a place in the semis, Nikhat out-punched England's Charley-Sian Davison 5-0, while the young Parveen got the better off Shoira Zulkaynarova of Tajikistan with an identical margin.Manisha, on the other hand, dispatched Mongolia's Namuun Monkhor in a hard-fought quarter-final by a 4-1 split decision. However, it was the end of the road for Nitu (48kg), seasoned campaigner Pooja Rani (81kg), Anamika (50kg), Jaismine (60kg) and Nandini (+81kg). Continuing her stellar run from the prestigious Strandja Memorial tournament where she won the gold earlier this year, Nikhat handed India its first medal at this year's tournament with an impressive victory.The 25-year-old Telangana boxer was all pumped up in her highly physical bout against Davison. Both boxers were attacking each other ferociously in the first round.However, the second round was a one way street as Nikhat pounded her opponent with terrific body shots to tire her out while also landing clean and sharp punches.With the two rounds in the bag, Nikhat then displayed her defensive skills as she no longer felt the need to be on the offensive in the final few minutes of her quarter-final bout. "My opponent was taller than me today, so my strategy was to block her right hand which is her strength. I am delighted to give India the first medal, hope I can win the gold," Nikhat said after the bout. The former Junior World champion will next square off against Caroline De Almeida of Brazil, who thrashed the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver winner Carly McNaul of Ireland by unanimous decision. In another bout, the 24-year-old Manisha moved around the ring and used her long reach to great effect as she threw clean punches in the closely-fought last eight contest. She will take on Italy's Irma Testa next. In the fourth Indian bout of the day, Parveen initially seemed hesitant to attack and looked out of depth but as the seconds ticked away and coach Bhaskar Bhatt and the support staff encouraged her to go forward and attack from the sideline, the Haryana boxer gained confidence to notch up a memorable win. She will be up against Ireland's Amy Broadhurst in the semi-final. Anamika and Jaismine fell short of securing medals on their debut appearance at the world event after enduring 0-5 and 1-4 losses respectively.Anamika lost to Rio Olympic bronze medallist Colombia's Ingrit Valencia and Jaismine succumbed to Rashida Ellis of the United States. Nandini, who had received a first round bye, was handed a 0-5 loss by Morocco's Khadija Mardiin in her opening bout. Nitu ended her campaign with a 2-3 split verdict quarter-final loss to reigning Asian champion Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan, while two-time Asian champion Pooja went down 2-3 also via a split verdict to Australia's Jessica Bagley. There was a bit of confusion with Pooja's result as the announcer mixed up the name of the two boxers. Nitu, who is a two-time Youth World champion, started the bout cautiously, enticing her opponent to come at her but struggled to land punches herself. The Indian tried hard to break Balkibekova's defences as the Kazakh boxer moved around swiftly. Nitu managed to up the ante in the final round but it was too late as the judges ruled in her opponent's favour. India won four medals, including a silver and three bronze, in the last edition of the tournament.—PTI

 Nikhat Zareen (52kg), Manisha (57kg) and Parveen (63kg) continued their stellar run at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Monday by advancing to the semi-finals but five other Indians bowed out after suffering quarter-final losses.

Boxing World C'ships: Nikhat, Manisha, Parveen assure medals

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nikhat Zareen on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rediff.com/sports/report/nikhat-zareen-is-world-boxing-champion-in-flyweight-world-boxing-championships/20220519.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(71, 123, 196);">clinching gold</a>&nbsp;at the 12th edition of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Thursday.PM Modi also lauded Manisha Moun (57kg) and Parveen Hooda (63kg) for their bronze medals as India concluded the World Championships campaign with three medals against their name. "Our boxers have made us proud! Congratulations to @nikhat_zareen for a fantastic Gold medal win at the Women's World Boxing Championship. I also congratulate Manisha Moun and Parveen Hooda for their Bronze medals in the same competition," PM Modi tweeted. Nikhat registered a dominating 5-0 victory, thrashing Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas without breaking a sweat in the 52kg final with judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in the Indian's favour. The Nizamabad, Telangana-born boxer became the only fifth Indian woman to secure a gold medal at the World Boxing Championships after record six-time champion Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006) and Lekha KC (2006).It was also India's first gold medal since boxing great Mary Kom won it in 2018. With the addition of three medals in Istanbul, India's overall medal tally has gone up to 39, including 10 gold, eight silver and 21 bronze, in the 12 editions of the prestigious event--third highest after Russia (60) and China (50).—ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nikhat Zareen on clinching gold at the 12th edition of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Thursday.

PM Modi lauds Nikhat Zareen for 'fantastic' gold

New Delhi: Hardened by the difficult circumstances in her career, newly-crowned World Champion boxer Nikhat Zareen said she has adopted a combative approach where "whatever happens I have to fight and give my best." Continuing her stellar run, Zareen out-punched Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas by unanimous 5-0 verdict to clinch the flyweight (52kg) gold in Istanbul on Thursday."These two years, I focused on my game only and whatever the weaknesses were there in my game, I tried to improve," Zareen said after her triumph. "I worked on my strong points and on where I lacked in my game. I worked on the aspects where I needed to work and made myself strong. "All those hurdles which I have faced in my career have made me strong. I have become mentally strong after all these and my thought process is that whatever happens, I have to fight and give my best," she added. Zareen's golden feat comes two-years after she had written to then sports minister Kiren Rijiju asking for a 'fair trial'&nbsp;for the Tokyo Olympics Qualifiers. She was trolled on social media mercilessly for this while the legendary Mary Kom had caustically asked "Who Nikhat Zareen?" She eventually lost the bout to Mary Kom in the trials, missing out on a chance to qualify for the Tokyo Games. The 2011 Junior World champion also had to overcome a career-threatening shoulder injury, which kept her out of the ring for a year and saw her miss all the big-ticket events like the Commonwealth Games, Asiad and World Championships in 2018."In 2017, I dislocated my shoulder, I had to go under surgery and then I didn't take part in any competition for a year. I came back in 2018 but I wasn't at my peak so I missed the big tournaments CWG, Asiad and World Championships. "But I didn't give up and after the comeback in 2019 haven't looked back. I have taken all competitions as an opportunity and I believed in myself, because of that here I'm today." Zareen will now prepare for the Commonwealth Games trial for which she will have to drop her weight and come down to 50kgs. "In the Commonwealth Games there's a 50kg division, I will prepare for that now." The 25-year-old Telangana pugilist has started her preparation for the Paris Olympics but is unsure which weight category she will compete in. She will either have to climb up to the 54kg or come down to 50kg. Talking about the difficulties of changing a weight class, she said it would be easier to drop weight. "It's difficult to change a weight category whether you drop down to a weight division or move up to a weight division. "It's more difficult when one moves from a lower weight to a higher weight as you are at a disadvantage with the other boxers being a bit heavy as they come in that weight by dropping their body weight. So one faces more strong boxers. "I guess if I play in 50kg category, it will not make much of a difference. Normally my weight remains 51.51.5 kg so my body will work well in 50kg. So for some time, I will continue in the 50kg weight division." The 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist has had a busy 2022 and her aim is to remain injury free. "The challenge is to keep body at peak level, after Strandja I had to give the World Championship and Asian Games trials. "It was not easy as there you were playing decorated, experienced boxers in tough bouts. But I kept my body calm and composed and I managed to win both the trials and the started the preparation for world championships. "Now I will prepare for the Commonwealth Games. The main focus will be to keep the body free from injuries.—PTI

Hardened by the difficult circumstances in her career, newly-crowned World Champion boxer Nikhat Zareen said she has adopted a combative approach where "whatever happens I have to fight and give my best."

Hurdles have made me mentally strong: Nikhat

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met pugilist Nikhat Zareen and other boxers who won medals at the Women's World Boxing Championships in Turkey last month. Nikhat Zareen is the fifth Indian boxer to have won a gold medal at the prestigious event. Apart from Nikhat, Manisha Moun and Parveen Hooda, both of whom bronze medal at the Women's World Boxing Championships, met the Prime Minister.Nikhat said in a tweet later that it was an honour to meet the Prime Minister. "An honour to meet our Hon'ble PM @narendramodi sir. Thank you sir," she said. The boxer, born in Nizamabad in Telangana, registered a dominating 5-0 victory in the final. Living up to the expectations, Nikhat thrashed Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas without breaking a sweat in the 52kg final 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28. It was also India's first gold medal in the world's championship since boxing great Mary Kom won it in 2018. Before Nikhat, Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006) and Lekha KC (2006) had won gold medals at the world boxing championship.Manisha (57kg) and Parveen (63kg) won bronze medals and the Indian contingent concluded its campaign with three medals at the world's biggest boxing event, which witnessed exciting competition between 310 boxers from 73 countries. The boxing event this year also marked the 20th anniversary of the Women's World Championships. Out of 12 Indian boxers, eight made it to the quarter-finals in this year's tournament--the joint highest alongside Turkey. With the addition of three medals in Istanbul, India's overall medal tally in Women's World Boxing Championships has gone up to 39 which includes 0 gold, eight silver and 21 bronze. This is third highest after Russia (60) and China (50).—ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met pugilist Nikhat Zareen and other boxers who won medals at the Women's World Boxing Championships in Turkey last month. Nikhat Zareen is the fifth Indian boxer to have won a gold medal at the prestigious event.

PM Modi meets gold medallist Nikhat Zareen, other winners of Women's World Boxing C'ships

New Delhi: &nbsp;Reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain on Saturday sealed their berths in the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games with dominating wins in the selection trials here.While Nikhat, the two-time Strandja Memorial gold medallist, blanked Haryana's Minakshi via a 7-0 unanimous decision, Lovlina out-classed Railways Pooja by an identical margin.Nitu (48kg) and Jasmine (60kg) were the others boxers, who also sealed spots for the quadrennial event.Nikhat looked in control throughout her bout, landing clear punches as she danced around the ring.A two-time former youth world champion, Nitu eked out a 5-2 split decision win over 2019 silver medallist Manju Rani.The Haryana boxer is enjoying a good year. She had won the gold at the Strandja Memorial tournament earlier this year.Jasmine, the 2021 Asian youth boxing Championship bronze medallist, out-punched 2022 world championship bronze medallist Parveen Hooda in a fast-paced light-middleweight final.The CWG is set to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.Team: Nitu (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Jasmine (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain(70Kg).—PTI

 Reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain on Saturday sealed their berths in the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games with dominating wins in the selection trials here.

Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain seal CWG berths

Bengaluru :&nbsp;World Boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen remembered her first pair of Adidas shoes and how it empowered her on her way to glory in the boxing ring when she inaugurated the global sportswear giant's largest store in Bengaluru recently.Located at the heart of the IT city Brigade Road, the store, spread across a 6500 sq ft retail area across four floors, accentuates "experience, sustainability and credibility".Speaking on the occasion, Nikhat hoped that the store "will be the first step towards many more such monumental journeys for young athletes in the years to come."The premium destination for sportswear enthusiasts offers a wide variety of products for men, women and kids across categories like running, training, sportswear, football, basketball, golf, tennis and outdoor. To make the space more engaging, the store also has multiple sports &amp; experience zones like an exclusive football floor with an extended terrace play area, and a gaming-inspired lounge with an activity area for kids, the company informed in a release.Emphasising the brand's vision and commitment toward sustainability, the space has a dedicated 'Sustainability Wall'. It has been designed using electronic waste and displays the End Plastic Waste logo. Furthermore, the central Atrium installation at the store has been created in collaboration with local artists using only recycled bottles and plastic containers, the company said in a release."We are absolutely thrilled to open yet another phenomenal store in the heart of Bengaluru. The store not only provides our consumers a global shopping experience, but also gives them a glimpse into the world of possibilities with Adidas, be it through our experience zones, our digital touch points, or our commitment to sustainability which comes to life with the sustainability wall and the installation made from plastic waste. We consistently want to elevate the in-store experience for our consumers through innovation, creativity, and design," said Sunil Gupta, Senior Director of Adidas.Speaking on inauguration of the new store, Nikhat said, "I am super excited to inaugurate this beautiful Adidas store today. This makes me reminisce about my first store visit, when I got my first pair of Adidas shoes. A monumental moment for me as it was a pair which empowered me and to this day, I cherish it. That was my entry into the world of Adidas, and from there on the possibilities for me have been endless. I wear my three stripes with so much pride." IANS

World Boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen remembered her first pair of Adidas shoes and how it empowered her on her way to glory in the boxing ring when she inaugurated the global sportswear giant's largest store in Bengaluru recently.

 Nikhat Zareen inaugurates new Adidas store in Bengaluru

New Delhi: Indian athletes expressed their elation at being honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their superlative showing at Birmingham Commonwealth Games with Nikhat Zareen gifting him her boxing gloves and sprinter Hima Das giving the traditional Assamese gamocha. Modi, on Saturday, hosted the Indian contingent at his residence to felicitate the players. The Indian athletes produced a sensational show in Birmingham, claiming 61 medals, including 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze. "Honoured to gift the boxing gloves signed by all the pugilists to our honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi sir. Thank you for this amazing opportunity. A great day spent with my fellow athletes who have made the country proud," Nikhat tweeted. The star boxer, world championship gold medallist, won the yellow metal in her weight category at the Games. Hima wrote on her Twitter handle, "Elated to receive blessings from our honourable Prime Minister - Shri @narendramodi Ji, by virtue of Commonwealth Games 2022. Fortunate to have presented him with our traditional gamcha, wrapped with immense gratitude from all of Assam." Champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won the gold medal without breaking a sweat, a year after her historic silver at the Tokyo Olympics, thanked the PM for his words of encouragement. "Honoured to meet &amp; interact with our Honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi Sir. Thank you so much sir for all your support &amp; encouragement. Jai Hind," Chanu said. The golden period of Indian sports is knocking on the door, said the prime minister as he hailed the fine show of the Indian contingent. "Thank You Sir for sparing your valuable time and inviting us over to your residence. It was like always a delight to speak with you," wrote shuttler Chirag Shetty on the microblogging site. His young badminton colleague Lakshya Sen, who won the men's singles title in spectacular fashion, too expressed his gratitude at being honoured by the PM. "What a great day for all the Athletes #gratitude. Thank you so much Sir for appreciating our hard work and for your words of encouragement. We are all very grateful for your support. Will continue to make our nation proud. Jai Hind!" Sen tweeted. Star Indian para table tennis player Bhavina Patel, who won the gold medal in the women's singles class 3-5, called the interaction with Modi motivating. "Meeting Hon. PM @narendramodi ji once again, interacting with him and seeking blessing was motivating and inspiring as always. His keen interest in our performances and detailed conversations are very gratifying!" Bhavina said. After the felicitation programme, the prime minister said the "CWG 2022 will always be remembered for memorable performances and diversifying our pursuit for excellence.&nbsp;
—PTI

Indian athletes expressed their elation at being honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their superlative showing at Birmingham Commonwealth Games with Nikhat Zareen gifting him her boxing gloves and sprinter Hima Das giving the traditional Assamese gamocha.

Nikhat gifts PM Modi boxing gloves, Hima gives traditional gamocha

Hyderabad (The Hawk): Nikhat Zareen, the women's world boxing champion, and Akula Sreeja, a player in table tennis, were both honoured with prestigious Arjuna Awards for their outstanding achievements in their respective sports by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
He expressed his happiness that the state's two female athletes had won the top spot.
The Arjuna Awards 2022 have been announced by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs &amp; Sports for 25 athletes who have excelled in their respective sports and competitions.
At a specially scheduled event at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 30, the President will present the awards to the recipients.
The Chief Minister claimed that Nikhat Zareen, who won consecutive matches in women's boxing and made the nation well-known abroad, was deserving of the Arjuna Award. He claimed that the talent of "Telangana Bidda" makes the entire country proud (daughter of the soil).
He also mentioned the selection of another Telangana Bidda, Akula Sreeja, for the Arjuna award. He wished Sreeja well and expressed his hope that she would use her talent to excel in sports.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Nikhat Zareen, the women's world boxing champion, and Akula Sreeja, a player in table tennis, were both honoured with prestigious Arjuna Awards for their outstanding achievements in their respective sports by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Telangana's Chief Minister extends his best wishes to Arjuna winners Nikhat Zareen and Sreeja

New Delhi: Record six-time Asian Championships medallist Shiva Thapa, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen will spearhead the Indian boxing squad for the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, 2023.  With a World Championships bronze medal and six Asian Championships medals under his belt, Shiva will be looking to add a first Asian Games medal to his kitty as he represents the country in the 63.5 kg category.  Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina will battle it out in the 75kg category, determined to add a coveted Asian Games medal to her decorated CV that has three World Championships and Asian medals each.  Meanwhile, Nikhat, who recently made history by becoming only the second female pugilist from the country to win two World Championships gold medals, will seek to continue her dominance on the international stage. The Telangana-born pugilist also clinched gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and will box in the 50kg category.  "This formidable squad has worked tirelessly to prepare for this prestigious event and I have no doubt that they will make our country proud. India has been making waves in the boxing landscape and has established its place amongst the elite. Having witnessed exceptional performances by our boxers at the recent World Championships, we are confident that we will be seeing more of the same in Hangzhou. Everyone at BFI wishes each and every member of the team all the best," said Ajay Singh, President of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), in a media release.  Deepak Bhoria, who is continuing his rise to the top by being one of the most consistent Indian pugilists recently, will be competing in the 51kg Flyweight category. The 25-year-old recently won a historic bronze at the Men’s World Championships in Tashkent where he toppled the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist and 2021 World Champion Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan.  Another World Championships bronze medallist, Nishant Dev who is one of India's finest young talents will be aiming to make his mark at the tournament as he shoulders the country’s weight in the 71 kg category.  The Indian team will also comprise 2021 Asian Champion Sanjeet Kumar (92kg) and 2022 Asian Championship bronze medallist Narender Berwal (+92) in the heavyweight and super heavyweight categories respectively.  Young pugilists Sachin (57kg) who is the 2021 World Youth Champion and Lakshya Chahar (80kg) who is a three-time national champion will be the other pugilists donning the Indian jersey at the prestigious tournament.  Parveen Hooda, who had a stellar 2022 where she won the World Championships bronze and also became the Asian Champion, will be carrying the mantle of the country in the 57kg category as she strives to make her 2023 even more memorable.  The 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria will be participating in the 60kg category while the 2021 World Youth champion Arundhati Choudhary will be squaring off in the 66kg category.  The squad will also have the proficient young pugilist Preeti, who has the 2022 Asian Championships bronze medal to her name and will be eager to make her mark in Hangzhou.  Boxers will be looking to give their best as the competition will serve as the qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics.  Full Indian Squad for Asian Games:  Men: Deepak (51 Kg), Sachin (57 Kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5 Kg), Nishant Dev (71 Kg), Lakshya Chahar (80 Kg), Sanjeet (92 Kg) and Narender (+92 Kg)  Women: Nikhat Zareen (50 Kg), Preeti (54 Kg), Parveen (57 Kg), Jaismine (60 Kg), Arundhati Choudhary (66 Kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75 Kg). —IANS

Record six-time Asian Championships medallist Shiva Thapa, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain

Indian boxing squad for 19th Asian Games named; Shiva, Lovlina Nikhat among big names

Hangzhou [China]: Reigning World Champion Nikhat Zareen on Friday assured India a medal in the 50kg weight category after beating Jordan's Hanan Nassar by KO in 2 minutes in a quarterfinal of the ongoing 19th Asian Games.  With this victory, Nikhat also officially sealed her place in India's Paris Olympics contingent. As for her Asian Games campaign, she will be up against Thailand's Chuthamat Raksat in the semifinal.
The Indian boxer needed less than two minutes to overcome Jordan's Nassar Hanan in the quarterfinals, as her merciless boxing caused the referee to end the contest via RSC (referee stops count).
Nikhat was aggressive from the start, launching a flurry of assaults on her opponent, causing the referee to award her a standing count three times. The World Champion was simply too strong a challenge for Nassar. The referee had to stop the bout in the first round after Nikhat delivered a barrage of punches.  In other boxing results on Friday, Parveen Hooda secured her spot in the last eight while Lakshya Chahar suffered a defeat 4:1 on points against Kyrgyzstan's Omurbek Bekzhigit Uulu in the men's 80kg round of 16.  In the previous round, Nikhat had already established her authority over her South Korean opponent, defeating Chorong Bak 5-0 in the second round of the women's event.
—ANI

Reigning World Champion Nikhat Zareen on Friday assured India a medal in the 50kg weight category after beating Jordan's Hanan Nassar

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Boxing World C'ships: Nikhat, Manisha, Parveen assure medals

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Boxing World C'ships: Nikhat, Manisha, Parveen assure medals

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