Indian boxing sensation Nikhat Zareen made a strong start to her Olympic campaign at the Paris 2024 Games. Competing in the women's 50kg division, she secured a convincing win over Germany's Maxi Carina Kloetzer in the Round of 32 at the North Paris Arena on July 28. The judges unanimously awarded the victory to Zareen, with a score of 5-0 in her favor.
Nikhat Zareen Starts Olympic Journey with Victory
With this victory, Zareen advances to the next round where she will face a formidable opponent, World Champion Wu Yu from China, who received a first-round bye. The highly anticipated match is scheduled for Thursday at 2:30 PM IST.
Notably, Zareen's journey to the Olympics has been marked by resilience. A two-time world champion, missed the opportunity to represent India at the Tokyo 2020 Games after losing the trials to Mary Kom. However, she has bounced back stronger and is now determined to make her mark on the Olympic stage. Since then, Zareen has enjoyed remarkable success, capturing two world boxing titles, a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze medal at the Asian Games last year.
Zareen, making her Olympic debut, faced a challenging start as her German opponent aggressively pressured her. The Indian boxer fought back, finding her range and landing some solid punches. Despite her height advantage, Zareen was unable to counter Kloetzer's effective jab, resulting in a split decision loss (3-2) in the first round.
The 28-year-old Indian boxer found her rhythm in the second round, unleashing powerful hooks and demonstrating superior tactics. Both fighters were determined to impress the judges, but Zareen’s dominance was evident. A point was deducted from Kloetzer for lowering her head, but this advantage was short-lived as Zareen was penalized for holding shortly after.
Unfazed by the setback, Zareen continued to land precise punches as her opponent visibly tired. Her consistent aggression and accuracy ultimately secured her victory and a spot in the pre-quarterfinals.
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