India’s star boxer Nikhat Zareen made a triumphant return at the World Boxing Championships on Saturday, though fellow Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and newcomer Hitesh Gulia faced disappointing early exits. Competing unseeded in the women’s 51kg category, two-time world champion Nikhat showcased her skills after a lengthy hiatus following an injury at the Paris event last August. She dominated her opening round against USA’s Jennifer Lozano, clinching a unanimous 5-0 victory in the round of 32.
In contrast, Lovlina, the top seed in the women’s 75kg division, suffered an unexpected defeat in her first match. Struggling to find her rhythm, she fell to Turkey’s Busra Isildar, who effectively capitalized on clinches and landed cleaner hits to secure a decisive 5-0 win.
India’s disappointing day continued in the men’s 70kg category, where third seed Hitesh Gulia lost 1-4 to the Netherlands’ Bos Finn Robert. Despite demonstrating early potential with sharp counter-punching and aggression in the second round, Gulia’s momentum faltered in the final round after a heavy hook briefly dazed him, leading to a standing count.
Meanwhile, in the men’s +90kg division, Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal advanced to the round of 16. After a slow start, Narender found his rhythm, landing straight punches to outclass Ireland’s Martin Christopher McDonagh with a 4-1 split decision late on Friday night.
Nikhat’s confident comeback emerged as the highlight for India, amidst an otherwise mixed day of competition. The focus now shifts to Narender and the remaining boxers, who look to continue their campaigns in the upcoming rounds.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/sports/nikhat-storms-into-next-round-lovlina-hitesh-bow-out-of-world-boxing-championships/32024/
Category: Sports,Exit,Lovlina Borgohain,World Boxing Championships
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Publish Date: 2025-09-06 20:55:00
