Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain advance to semi-finals of Elite Women's Boxing Tournament

The ongoing Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament 2025 will continue until July 1.

Former youth world champion Ankushita Boro showcased her class on Day 2 of the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament, advancing to the semi-finals in the 65kg category with a clinical 5:0 win over Rajasthan pugilist Parthvi on Sunday. In the 51kg division, home favourite and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen delighted the Hyderabad crowd with a dominant 5:0 victory over Kalpana.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 medalist Lovlina Borgohain eased past Punjab’s Krisha Verma in the 75 kg weight category with a unanimous victory, setting up a clash against Uttar Pradesh boxer Sneha in the penultimate round.

Organised by the Telangana Boxing Federation under the aegis of the Boxing Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Telangana, the tournament brings together top-tier names and emerging prospects from across the country.

With 15 participating units—including 12 from the recent Elite Nationals, host Telangana, the SAI NCOE Combined team, and the TOPS Talent & Development squad—the competition is part of BFI’s ongoing initiative to refine the national pool and scout future stars.

Other notable quarter-final results saw Preeti (54kg), Jyoti (51kg), and Devika Ghorpade (51kg) book their semi-final berths with clean, unanimous wins. Tamil Nadu’s V. Lakshaya (51kg) impressed with a 5:0 win over Laxmi Devi and will face Nikhat in the semi-finals, while Tanu (54kg), Shashi (65kg), and Yashi Sharma (65kg) also moved ahead after solid outings.

Ankushita’s TOPS teammate Gitimoni Gogoi advanced in 70kg via RSC, and Babirojsana Chanu (57kg) registered a stoppage win in the second round.

The tournament, serving as a gateway to the elite national camp in Patiala, continues at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, with semifinals scheduled for tomorrow.

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