Indian boxers put up a dominant show in the first session with Nitu Ghanghas (48kg), Manisha Moun (57kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg) and Jaismine (60kg) cruised to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Championships in the national capital on Tuesday.
The defending champion Nikhat outpunched Mexican pugilist Fatima Herrera comfortably by unanimous decision in the 50kg pre-quarterfinals. The Indian made an aggressive start as she launched the attack from the word go, exhibiting quick movement. Herrera tried her best to shift the momentum in her favour but Nikhat’s relentless attack proved too strong.
Nikhat will be up against the Thai boxer Chuthamat Rakshat in the quarter-finals.
“I played this boxer in the last World Championships too and had won. She was a little tougher today than last time. My weight category has changed from 52 to 50kg and my speed has increased but I still have to work on some things. I am happy that I played well today. Each player that I have played till now was tough,” Nikhat said after the match.
Jaismine also put up an equally strong performance during her 5-0 win against Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova in the 60kg Last-16 bout.
Commonwealth Games champion Nitu won her round of 16 bout with a first round against Sumaiya Qosimova of Tajikistan while last year’s bronze medallist Manisha got the better of Nur Elif Turhan of Turkey in the third round.
Shashi Chopra (63kg), however bowed out of the tournament after going down 0-4 to Mai Kito of Japan. It was the second RSC win as many bouts for Nitu in the tournament.
Both tried to figure out each other’s game, but then connected four straight jabs which forced the referee to give the opponent her first standing count.
Nitu continued her onslaught as she cornered the Tajikistan pugilist and pummelled her with straight jabs.
The referee gave Qosimova her second standing count before calling the contest in the Indian’s favour much to the disappointment of her opponent who kept showing the thumbs down gesture when the result was called.
The experienced Manisha used a straight jab followed by a combination of punches to assert her authority. Considerably taller than the Turkish boxer, Manisha used that to her advantage as she unleashed a right and left hook followed by a straight jab.
Turhan looked to attack in the second round after receiving two standing counts in the first three minutes but Manisha continued landing hooks and jabs quite seamlessly.
She kept moving around to dodge her opponent’s punches. A flurry of jabs and hooks by Manisha led the referee to stop the contest in favour of the home boxer with only few seconds left for the final bell.
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