NEW DELHI: It will be an irony that India's two best women boxers of current generation - Nitu Ghanghas and Nikhat Zareen - will come head-to-head one day to earn the bragging rights to represent the nation at the Hangzhou Asian Games and later at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Their paths will cross, which both are aware of. And deep inside their hearts they know that it's an unfortunate scenario they can't avoid. Nitu competes in the minimum weight category (48kg) - a non-Olympic weight division - and Nikhat in the light flyweight (50kg), which is an Olympic category.
The boxing events at the Asiad in Hangzhou in Sep-Oct this year will serve as a Paris Games qualifier and both would like to seal the deal then and there in the women's 51kg category. If that doesn't happen, then they might face off in a future selection trial to be Team India's entry for another International Olympic Committee (IOC)-backed continental qualifier for Paris.
Had there been two separate weight categories - 48kg and 50kg - at the Summer Games, the Indian boxing fans who saw the two women fight - in their respective weight categories - on Thursday evening in the semifinals of the women's World Championships, would have been convinced them about their credentials as medal contenders at the Olympics.
The two not only fought the odds stacked heavily against them in the form of superior and much-experienced rivals, but they also made a hands-on shift in their gameplan in all three periods of their bouts to march into the finals of the Worlds in front of a packed home crowd at the IG indoor stadium.
Joining them in their moment of fame were Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), who scripted an upset 4-1 win over 2018 world champion and two-time Olympics medallist, Li Qian of China,, and Saweety Boora (81kg), who overcame a spirited challenge in the final round from Australia's Emma-Sue Greentree to emerge victorious by a split 4-3 decision.
It was Birmingham CWG champion Nitu who set the tone for an evening with a sparkling 5-2 victory over reigning Asian champion Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan after the bout was reviewed. The win was all the more special as it was the same Kazakh opponent who had defeated Nitu in the quarterfinals of the last Worlds in Istanbul. Nitu, the two-time youth world champion, fought a tactical bout and didn't allow her opponent to attack from a long range. Nitu played from a close range and relied on her counter-attacking punches.
"She is comfortably playing her bouts from a long range. Once Alua settles down in her zone, she makes it very difficult for her opponent to reach her strides. So, I had come with a gameplan to not allow her to play her natural game. I kept on attacking to unsettle her and play as close to her as possible to win the bout," Nitu later told reporters. She will now take on the 2022 Asian Championships bronze medallist, Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg from Mongolia, in the final on Saturday.
Soon after Nitu's win, the reigning flyweight (52kg) champion Nikhat entered the arena to a thunderous applause to face Rio Olympics bronze medallist, Ingrit Lorena Valencia from Colombia, in her 50kg last-four stage bout. Nikhat was on top of her game and didn't allow Ingrit to settle down and play her natural attacking game - the Colombian mostly relies on landing clean punches. With age catching up with Ingrit, she looked off-colour too. Nikhat continued her quest for back-to-back Worlds gold after scoring a thumping 5-0 win over the Istanbul Worlds silver medallist.
"My performance is getting better with each passing day. I am happy that I can defeat her by a unanimous decision. She was an experienced and tough opponent and it was important to defeat Ingrit at her own game. She is a technical boxer but I was better today both technically and tactically. I would say this was my best bout of the tournament so far," said Nikhat, who will now face the two-time Asian champion, Nguyen Thi Tam of Vietnam, in the final on Sunday.
Lovlina also assured herself of a change in the colour of her Worlds medal (earlier two bronze) after upsetting Qian. It was a massive win for the Assam boxer who will compete in the final of the Worlds for the first time in her career. Lovlina smartly landed accurate punches and showcased immense grit to thwart the challenge of her fancied Chinese opponent.
Saweety later provided the icing on the cake for the hosts, thwarting a late charge from Greentree, to also ensure her maiden appearance in the summit clash of the Worlds. The 2014 Jeju Island Worlds bronze medallist was confident throughout the bout and landed strong, accurate punches to seal the win despite the judges giving the third and final round 5-0 to the Aussie.
