All four Indian boxers on course for the gold medal at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships

All four Indian boxers in the semifinals entered the gold medal round in their respective weight categories at the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships on Thursday.

In the competition being held at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Sports Complex, the Indian contingent will be hoping for a good haul of gold medals in the season’s first major boxing championships.

Riding on a wave of winning bouts in the first round of the ongoing competition, Nitu Ghanghas entered the ring with confidence to face reigning Asian champion Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan in the semifinals of the 48kg.

It was a close encounter as the Kazak boxer had a slim lead in the first round, while Nitu bounced back in the second. However, Nitu made the most of the chances in the third round to stay ahead of her nippy opponent. After reviewing the semifinal bout, the Indian was declared the winner with a 5-2 score.

“My performance has improved since the previous year and it has enabled me to excel in the ring at the ongoing world boxing championships,” Nitu said. “I have also learnt to change my strategy against boxers having different style of play.”

Nitu’s opponent in the gold medal match will be Mongolia’s Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg on Saturday.

India’s Nikhat Zareen also continued her good run in the competition. On Thursday, she scored a 5-0 win over Colombia’s experienced boxer Ingrit Valencia to stay on course for the gold medal in the 50kg category.

The way Nikhat has maintained her composure in the ring despite challenging bouts, she could be considered favourite for the gold medal. Nikhat will take on Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam on Sunday and will have enough time to recover from the semifinal bout.

India’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain also advanced into the final round of the 75kg. In the semifinals, she defeated China’s Li Gian 4-1.

While Saweety Boora got the better of Australian Emma Sue Greentree in the semifinals of 81kg. The Indian boxer won by 4-3 to stay in the race for a gold medal.