Indian challengers off to a flying start
Nikhat, Preeti Win By RSC; Nupur, Sakshi Advance Too
- New Delhi: Nikhat Zareen delivered a blockbuster opening day performance when she outpunched and outmuscled Azerbaijan's Anakhanim Ismayilova in the preliminary round of the women's 50kg category to begin her World Championships title defense in style here on Thursday.
- Sakshi Chaudhary (52kg), Preeti (54kg) and Nupur Sheoran (+81kg), too, won their respective bouts with ease as the hosts started their campaign on a resounding note. Such was India's dominance on the first day of the meet that two host nation's boxers Nikhat and Preeti-registered an emphatic RSC (referee stops contest) victory over their respective rivals.
- Nupur is just one win away from securing at least a bronze after she defeated Guyana's Jackman Abiola by a unanimous decision (5-0) in the pre-quarters. However, that would be easier said than done. The Indian will be up against a formidable Lazzat Kungeibayeva from Kazakhstan, who is a former world champion with more than 11 years of international experience. The Kazakh is a 2016 AIBA women's World boxing champion and is coming to India on the back of a successful outing at the ASBC Asian Elite Championships in Dubai, where she won the gold.
- "I know I will be playing a world champion who is the second seed here. I will focus on my strength which is speed and foot movement. Those are the strong pillars of my game," said Nupur, who has made a comeback from a ligament injury and is competing for the first time in the heavy- weight category.
- The highlight of Nupur's game against Abiola was playing with an open guard and she plans to continue with the same approach against Kungeibayeva.
- Earlier, Nikhat, the reigning flyweight champion (non-Olympic 52kg division) who is competing in an Olympic weight category here, didn't allow her opponent Ismayilova to settle down, unleashing a flurry of punches to breach her defense on several occasions.
- Ismayilova endured three standing counts inside the first two periods of three-minute each. The bout was stopped a few minutes into the second round after the Azerbaijani received her third standing count.