Paris Olympics 2024: Boxer Nikhat Zareen suffers shocking loss to China's Yu, promises to come back stronger

In a shocking turn of events at the Paris Olympics 2024 boxing competition, two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (50kg) was defeated 0-5 by Asian Games gold medallist Wu Yu on Thursday.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Aug 1, 2024, 5:03 PM IST | Last Updated Aug 1, 2024, 5:03 PM IST

In a shocking turn of events at the Paris Olympics 2024 boxing competition, two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (50kg) was defeated 0-5 by Asian Games gold medallist Wu Yu on Thursday. The bout saw Wu Yu outmaneuvering Nikhat with ease, resulting in a lopsided loss for the Indian boxer.

Nikhat entered the Games unseeded, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not recognize the International Boxing Association (IBA), the body responsible for the world championships.

Considered one of India’s top medal prospects, Nikhat faced an exceptionally challenging draw that contributed to her early exit.

"Sorry guys," an emotional Nikhat said after the loss.

"It was a learning experience for me. I had not played her before. She was faster. I will analyse this bout once I am home. I was unseeded and this wasn't my first match, she was playing her first, it also impacts. It was an intense bout," the boxer added.

"I had worked hard, prepared myself physically and mentally for this Olympics. I will come back strong," she said.

In their first encounter, Nikhat Zareen faced intense pressure from the top-seeded reigning flyweight (52kg) world champion, Wu Yu, right from the opening round.

Yu’s quick start and exceptional footwork allowed her to evade Nikhat’s counter-attacks by frequently shifting her stance. Despite Nikhat’s attempts, she struggled to land any significant blows.

In the second round, Nikhat managed to connect with a few straight punches, though Yu still landed some impactful hooks to Nikhat's face. Nikhat did end the round with several body shots, but Yu remained dominant.

The third round saw little change, as Nikhat continued to struggle against Yu’s elusive movements, failing to land effective punches despite her best efforts.

"She was not attacking much and my punches were going in the air. There was no point keep doing that and lose energy. I had to wait. I wanted to do better in Round 1 and 2," the 28-year-old said.

Nikhat Zareen had moved down from her preferred 52kg weight division, which was not included in the Paris Olympics, after securing her first world championship gold medal in 2022.

"I had not eaten in the last two days for weight cut. I had not recovered and played first bout. If I had won the effort I would have been appreciated but it will now look like excuse. I gave my best," said Nikhat, who had defeated Germany's Maxi Karina Kloetzer in her opening round on Sunday.

Also read: Paris Olympics 2024: Swapnil Kusale wins historic BRONZE in 50m rifle 3 positions, takes India's tally to 3

Despite her recent loss, Nikhat remains one of India's most consistent boxers. She has secured back-to-back gold medals at the World Championships, won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, earned a bronze at the Asian Games last year, and claimed silver at the prestigious Strandja Memorial tournament in February.

With her exit, Nikhat becomes the fourth boxer out of the six-member Indian contingent to be knocked out of the Paris Games. Former world number one Amit Panghal (51kg), Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), and Asian Games bronze winner Preeti Pawar (54kg) have also been eliminated from the competition.

However, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and world bronze winner Nishant Dev (71kg) are still in contention, each needing one more win to secure their medals.

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