It was a memorable night for Indian boxing as Nikhat Zareen stormed to the gold medal at the Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Nikhat clinched the coveted gold in the flyweight (52 kg) division with an emphatic 5-0 win over Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas in the final.
The 25-year-old boxer from Telangana thrashed Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas without breaking a sweat in the 52kg final with the judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in Nikhat's favour.
Nikhat is the only fifth Indian woman to win gold at the World Boxing Championships after record six-time champion MC Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006) and Lekha KC (2006).
It was also India's first gold medal at the World Boxing Championships since Mary Kom won it in 2018.
Please click on the images for glimpses of Nikhat Zareen's puglistic feat.
IMAGE: Nikhat with her gold medal. Photographs: PTI Photo
IMAGE: Nikhat registerz an emphatic 5-0 win over Jitpong Jutamas in the final.
IMAGE: Nikhat with the coaches.
IMAGE: Nikhat's father being congratulated by friends and relatives in Hyderabad.
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com