Nikhat Zareen: World Champion boxer assured of medal at Asian Games 2023, secures Olympic berth in boxing

Two-time world champion, Nikhat Zareen, has clinched a coveted spot at the Paris Olympics and guaranteed herself a medal by storming into the 50kg semifinals at the Asian Games 2023.

In her third bout of the tournament, Nikhat exhibited an exceptional performance, achieving a swift RSC (referee stops contest) victory over Nassar Hanan of Jordan in the quarterfinal, concluding the match in just 53 seconds.

Initiating the bout with a sharp jab, the reigning Commonwealth Games and World Champion maintained dominance with a series of precise combination punches. Her dominance was so profound that the referee had to give the Jordanian boxer three standing counts before calling off the contest.

In other contests, Parveen, a World Championship bronze medallist, displayed exceptional skills, overpowering local favorite Zichun Xu 5-0 and advancing to the quarters.

On the other hand, Lakshya Chahar had an early exit, succumbing 1-4 to Kyrgyzstan's Omurbek Bekzhigit Uulu in the 80kg Round of 16 bout.

For the women's events, the semifinalists in the 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 60kg categories, as well as the finalists in the 66kg and 75kg, will secure berths for the Paris Olympics. Additionally, Olympic quotas will be awarded to the gold and silver medallists in each of the seven weight divisions in the men's event.

(With PTI inputs)