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The Asian Games 2023 bronze medallist and two-time World Champion Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen suffered a defeat against reigning flyweight World Champion and Asian Games gold medallist boxer Wu Yu from China. As a result, she bowed out of the Paris Olympics 2024.
Nikha lost 0-5 in a unanimous decision against the top seed Wu Yu. Earlier, she stormed into the pre-quarterfinals with an excellent win over Maxi Carina Kloetzer from Germany at the North Paris Arena on Sunday.
Nikhat Zareen, who is making her Summer Games debut at the Paris Olympics 2024, was considered a strong medal contender in boxing from India. She was handed a tough draw.
Nikhat Zareen vs Wu Yu - As it happened
In the first round, Wu Yu started off by landing the initial punches on her opponent. Wu smartly avoided Nikhat’s counter-attacking jabs. After a series of punches from the Chinese boxer, she moved into defensive mode. However, at the fag end of the round, punching one on Nikhat’s headgear and taking the lead in the opening round.
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In the second round, Nikhat Zareen tried to be a bit more aggressive, landing a few punches on Wu Yu. However, Wu Yu continued to dominate the opponent. In the dying moments of the second round, Nikhat managed to land a few body shots, bagging two 10s. However, Wu Yu registered three 10s to extend her lead.
In the third and final round, Wu Yu walked in after leading the bout comprehensively. Though Nikhat swung a few, she failed to land any blow on her opponent. With her impressive footwork, the Chinese boxer evaded a few punches. The final round ended with Wu Yu bagging five 10s from the judges and winning the bout by a 5-0 decision.
On the other hand, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain started off her Paris Olympics 2024 campaign on a confident note, defeating Sunniva Hofstad from Norway.
Interestingly, Lovlina is just one win away from securing a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 and script history by becoming the first Indian boxer to secure two Olympic medals.
However, the road is quite a tough one, as Lovlina will take on top seed Li Qian from China in the quarter-final on Sunday, August. A win in this game would ensure a medal for India in boxing.
