Nikhat and Lovlina add more golden sheen to India’s campaign

Nikhat and Lovlina add more golden sheen to India’s campaign in World women’s boxing championships

Star boxers Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain fought with every ounce of their being as the host matched its 2006 count of four gold medals and concluded its campaign in the World women’s boxing championships at the K.D. Jadhav Hall on a bright note here on Sunday.

Nikhat, who claimed her maiden World title in 52kg last year, secured her second successive gold medal in an Olympic weight, 50kg, in front of a vociferous home crowd.

An Olympic bronze medallist in 69kg, Lovlina Borgohain achieved her target of breaking her ‘bronze jinx’ and settled down in 75kg ahead of the Paris Games by picking her maiden World crown.

With Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and Saweety Boora (81kg) delivering gold medals earlier, India dealt with only gold in the event.

The taste of gold was sweeter for Commonwealth Games champion Nikhat, who became the second Indian woman after M.C. Mary Kom to win more than one World title. Her sixth bout turned out to be the toughest as Nikhat avenged her defeat to Vietnam’s two-time Asian champion Thi Tam Ngyuen with a 5-0 verdict.

Nikhat moved in to connect body and head shots on taller southpaw Thi, who was penalised for holding, and won the first round 5-0.

Thi stepped up aggression and took the second round 3-2 as Nikhat was punished for bending too much.