Nikhat Zareen stuns world champion Ekaterina Paltceva at Bosphorus Boxing Tournament

Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen caused a big upset at the Bosphorus Boxing Tournament in Istanbul on Thursday by knocking out the reigning world champion Ekaterina Paltceva. The 24-year-old Zareen pummeled her Russian opponent 5-0 in a one-sided contest to make her way into the women’s 51kg quarterfinals.

Nikhat Zareen, who won a bronze in the 2019 Asian Championships, will be up against two-time world champion Kazakh boxer Kyzaibay Nazym in the last-8 bout. Besides Zareen, 2013 Asian champion Shiva Thapa, Sonia Lather, and Parveen also registered comprehensive victories to enter the quarters.

Thapa, who also has a World Championships bronze, defeated Smagulov Baghtiyov 3-2 of Kazakhstan in the men’s 63kg bout. World Championship silver medallist Lather got the better of local favorite Surmeneli Tugcenaz 5-0 in the women’s 57kg category.

In the women’s 60kg, Parveen blanked local favorite Ozyol Esra 5-0 in a brilliant show of power and poise. However, Duryodhan Negi (69kg), Brijesh Yadav (81kg) and Krishan Sharma (+91kg) lost their preliminary rounds to bow out of the competition.

5 Indians on Day 3 schedule at Bosphorus Boxing Tournament

The third day of the Bosphorus Boxing Tournament will see five Indian boxers in action in their respective quarterfinal bouts. While Lather, Parveen and Jyoti (69kg) will fight in the women’s categories, Thapa and Gaurav Solanki will battle it out among the men.

Earlier on the opening day, India’s Pooja lost her 75kg bout to Russia’s two-time youth world champion Anastasia Shamonova. In the men’s 91kg category, India’s Naman Tanwar too suffered a defeat against Turkey’s Muhammed Baki Yalcin.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Solanki put up a dominant show against Kazakhstan’s Adios Arpov to win his opening bout 5-0 on the first day of the Bosphorus Boxing Tournament.