Asian Games: Nikhat Zareen starts boxing campaign with resounding win | Asian-games News

Nikhat Zareen’s first-ever Asian Games bout turned out to be a rout as the two-time World Champion started off her campaign in Hangzhou defeating Vietnam’s Thi Tan Nguyen 5-0 to make her way into the Round of 16.Be it the World Championships in New Delhi or the start of these Games, Zareen’s poor fortune has been evident. If in Delhi, she went unseeded because of a change in weight category, at Hangzhou no boxer was seeded because of the dispute between the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the International Olympic Committee.
And so Zareen, who had to fight six times to win the World Championship title at home, had to begin her Asian Games ascent against the very woman she survived in the final of the Worlds.

!💪
Catch the best of the Indian boxing ace @nikhat_zareen in her opening round at the 19th Asian Games.
🎥: @SonySportsNetwk #AsianGames | @BFI_official | #RoadToParis2024 | @WeAreTeamIndia | #OlympicQualifiers pic.twitter.com/YomOxXdtDb
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) September 24, 2023
The word survived is apt because in that slugfest, both boxers tagged each other repeatedly and both got standing eight counts the IBA referee. Zareen still managed a unanimous decision then and so the pattern for what was expected to happen on Sunday was laid out. And yet Zareen took one look at that script and tore it apart.
What was a close fight a few months ago was now a lopsided victory – one whose groundwork Zareen did in the first round itself. Aiming to close the dance and trade in the pocket, Zareen would often launch an attack in the opening stages, moving in from the outside. But the Vietnamese boxer relied on clinching her opponent up and trying to lean back and counter when the space was there. After a few clinches had to be broken up, Zareen landed a clean left hook – one that dazed Nguyen and a standing eight count had to be initiated the referee.

Moments later just as the first round was about to end, Zareen landed again and the referee momentarily stopped the bout for another standing eight count. At the end of the first, it was all about the Indian pugil who was showcasing her strength as well as a willingness to stand and trade against Nguyen. She had done the same at the World Championships and at that time, it wasn’t as easy as on Sunday when Nguyen landed clean and wobbled Zareen.

Bang on @nikhat_zareen!!🥊
🇮🇳’s boxing queen is on 🔥as she moves into the R16 in the women’s 50kg category at #AsianGames2022
The #TOPSchemeAthlete scored a dominant 5-0 win over World C’ships🥈 medall, 🇻🇳’s Nguyen Thi Tam
Great going Champ!! Best wishes for the next… pic.twitter.com/M3y9LigfRV
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) September 24, 2023
But that confidence to still come forward and stay in the zone of danger bodes well for Zareen as this tournament progresses.
Attack the best defence
The second round began just as the first ended – yet another standing eight count for the Vietnamese, who just staggered under the relentless offence being dished out her Indian opponent.
But soon Zareen slowed her pace down. There would be many more fights on the way to the podium and preserving energy was key. It was when she took her pedal off the gas that Nguyen threatened a comeback. Suddenly a couple of her wild swings met their mark. But Zareen now had switched her game from one of making Nguyen miss and then hit her to making Nguyen miss and then using her legs to move herself away from any threatening situation.
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In the third round, Nguyen’s best came about as she landed shots on Zareen. But the Indian was up to the task, relying on a punishing jab to hit the World Championship silver medall and then quickly reset. The bout was soon over and the judges scored the contest a resounding 30-25, 30-25, 30-24, 30-24, 30-24 to hand Zareen a unanimous 5-0 win.
This was one of the toughest bouts in Zareen’s bracket, she still has to face Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat – another foe who had troubled her at the Worlds and is a likely semi-final opponent.
India’s other boxer on the day was Preeti Sai Pawar, who won her first bout of the Asian Games in the second round itself after the referee stopped the contest against Jordan’s Silina Alhasanat.