Bronze medalist of the Olympic Games in Tokyo Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Nikhat Zareen recorded contrasting victories to earn gold medals in their respective weight classes at Polish Women’s Boxing Championships 2022 in Bhopal on Monday.
While Assam’s Lovlina Borgohain defeated Services’ Arundhati Choudhary 5-0 in the 75 kg category final, Nikhat Zareen faced a tough challenge from Railways’ Anamika in the 50 kg category gold medal match before winning 4-1. Nikhat Zareen won the category up to 52 kg in the last national edition.
For Nikhat Zareen, the victory marked the end of a successful year in which, in addition to winning the gold medal at the Strandja Memorial competition, she also became World and Commonwealth Games champion. The 26-year-old boxer from Telangana has been undefeated this year in all major competitions, including the national one.
Another highlight of the last day was the silver medalist of the 2019 World Championships Manju Rani, representing the Rail Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), defeating Tamil Nadu’s S Kalaivani 5–0 in the 48 kg category final. Shiksha (54kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg) and Nupur (+81kg) were the next RSPB gold medalists. Tokyo Olympian Simranjit Kaurmeanwhile, he lost the 60kg final to Poonam of Railways.
The Railway team won 10 medals – five gold, three silver and two bronze.
Madhya Pradesh with one gold, two silver and five bronze medals and Haryana (two gold and two bronze) finished second and third respectively.
Young boxer from Manipur, Sanamacha Thokchom Chanu, who won the gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championships, also put on an impressive display to secure the title in the 70 kg category, beating Shruti Yadav of Madhya Pradesh 3-2 in the final.
Manisha from Haryana (57kg) and Saweety Boora (81kg), Sakshi from SSCB (52kg), Manju Bamboria from Madhya Pradesh (66kg) also won gold medals in their respective categories at the tournament which was attended by 302 boxers fighting in 12 categories.
2022 Women’s National Boxing Championship medalists
48 kg: Manju Rani (Gold), S Kalaivani (Silver), Anjali Sharma and Rajni Singh (Bronze)
50 kg: Nikhat Zareen (Gold), Anamika (Silver), Kalpana and Shvinder Kaur (Bronze)
52 kg: Sakshi (gold), Jyoti (silver), Radha Patidar and Sonia (bronze)
54 kg: Shiksha (Gold), Sunita (Silver), Divya Pawar and M Dhiva (Bronze)
57 kg: Manisha (Gold), Vinakshi (Silver), Sonia Lather and Purnima Rajput (Bronze)
60kg: Poonam (Gold), Simranjit Kaur (Silver), Preeti and Kros H (Bronze)
63 kg: Shashi Chopra (gold), Mahi Lamba (silver), Neema and Rinky Sharma (bronze)
66 kg: Manju Bamboria (Gold), Ankushita Boro (Silver), Parveen and Komalpreet Kaur (Bronze)
70kg: Sanamacha Chanu (gold), Shruti Yadav (silver), Lalita and Jyoti (bronze)
75 kg: Lovlina Borgohain (gold), Arundhati Chaudhary (silver), Jigyasa Rajput and Bhawna (bronze)
81 kg: Saweety Boora (Gold), Anupama (Silver), Sushma and M Sribhavana (Bronze)
81kg+: Nupur (gold), Monika (silver), Lipakshi and Neha (bronze)
