Nikhat Zareen seals Paris Olympics berth by assuring first Asian Games

Reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen assured India its first boxing medal at the Asian Games 2023 with a thumping win over Hanan Nassar in the quarterfinals of the women’s 50kg event.

By advancing to the semis, Nikhat guaranteed a medal for herself and in the process, booked her a berth at next year’s Paris Olympics. This was Nikhat’s first Asiad medal.

So dominant was Nikhat that the bout lasted less than a minute. Nassar from Jordan was forced to take evasive action from the moment the opening bell rang. With Nikhat’s strong right hook landing on Nassar’s face, the referee had to stop the bout. Just like that, Nikhat was through.

In other results, Parveen Hooda earned her place in the quarter-finals, whereas Lakshya Chahar faced a 1-4 defeat against Kyrgyzstan’s Omurbek Bekzhigit Uulu in the men’s 80kg round of 16. During the prior round, Nikhat had already asserted her dominance over her South Korean adversary, securing a commanding 5-0 victory over Chorong Bak in the Round of 16 event.

“I’m really happy to have won this quarterfinal and achieve the Olympic quota. I was looking to get the Olympic quota. Now I have got it, finally, and I am looking forward to winning that gold medal,” she said after the win,” Nikhat said after her bout.

“I watched the previous fight, and my strategy was to go out there with the right leading hand, and that’s what I did. I got the RSC (referee stops contest) in the first round. Hopefully I keep performing like this in my next matches. My focus is on performing in these Hangzhou Asian Games. Hopefully, I win the gold medal and make my country proud.”

Nikhat’s remarkable record of no losses in the last two years is a testament to her exceptional domination. The reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Nikhat began the quarterfinal bout with a precise jab. She maintained control with a relentless series of accurate combination of punches, relentlessly pummeling her opponent to make short work of Hanan. In Sunday’s semifinal, Nikhat will face Chuthamat Raksat, a two-time world championship bronze medalist from Thailand.