Nikhat Zareen storms into semifinal of Asian Games 2023
Navin Mittal
Two-time world champion clinches Paris Olympics berth with dominant performance on Asian Games debut.
In a stunning debut at the Asian Games 2023, two-time world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen secured her spot in the Paris Olympics and assured herself of a medal by storming into the 50kg semifinals. The 27-year-old reigning Commonwealth Games champion displayed remarkable composure throughout the match, showcasing no signs of pressure. Zareen asserted her dominance right from the start, exhibiting authority in the ring and launching relentless attacks from the very first minute.
Contrastingly, her opponent from Jordan, Nassar Hanan, appeared somewhat defensive, and Zareen capitalized on this vulnerability by landing precise, heavy punch combinations. As a result, Hanan found herself on the defensive right from the opening round, with Zareen’s punches proving so effective that the referee had to stop the contest with a whopping 53 seconds still remaining in the first round of their bout.
This was Zareen’s third bout in the tournament, and she needed less than three minutes to secure a resounding RSC (referee stops contest) victory over Nassar Hanan in the quarterfinals. Zareen set the tone of the bout early on with her sharp jabs, continuing to dominate with a flurry of accurate combination punches. Such was her control that the referee was compelled to give the Jordanian pugilist three standing counts before ultimately calling off the contest.
She cleanly swept her opponents in the previous rounds
In the previous round, the reigning champion had won her pre-quarterfinal bout by an impressive 5-0 against a Korean Pugilist, earning her ticket to the Quarter-Finals. She entered the event with a victory over the runner-up of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023, Nguyen Thi Tham of Vietnam.
In the women’s events at the Asian Games, the semifinalists in the 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 60kg categories, as well as the finalists in the 66kg and 75kg divisions, will qualify for the Paris Olympics. Notably, the gold and silver medalists in each of the seven weight divisions in the men’s event will also secure Olympic quotas.
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The 27-year-old Indian boxing sensation, who triumphed over her Jordanian opponent in the Quarter-finals, is now set to face RAKSAT Chuthamat of Thailand in the Semi-finals on October 01 at 11:30 AM IST, as she continues her quest for Asian Games glory and an Olympic medal.
Stay tuned for more updates on Nikhat Zareen’s remarkable journey at the Asian Games 2023 as she aims to make her mark on the international stage and secure her spot at the Paris Olympics.
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