Nikhat Zareen won a gold medal for India. She won the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship. In the final, she beat Jitpong Jutamas of Thailand. She has won numerous medals in her career. However, this medal is her most significant honor to date. Still only 25, she promises big times ahead. Nikhat Zareen winning gold means she is the 5th Indian to do so. MC Mary Kom was the last winner of the title. However, Mary Kom had a little feud with Zareen in the past. It remains to be seen if the two boxers will lock horns in the future. Nevertheless, Mary Kom did praise Zareen for her win.
Nikhat Zareen wins World Boxing Championship Gold: Match report.
Coming into the final, Zareen looked in good form. She was up against Jitpong Jutamas. In the opening exchanges, the Indian looked the sharper of the two. Her punches were calculated and practical. It was clear to see she was on the front foot. However, beating Jutamas was no mean feat. The Thai boxer defeated three-time gold medalist Zhaina Shekerbekova. Nevertheless, Zareen kept on playing to her strengths. This strategy proved very effective for her. She won the match 5-0. Nikhat Zareen won a deserved gold medal.
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Nikhat Zareen’s controversy with Mary Kom
Mary Kom is a six-time champion. Furthermore, she has an Olympic bronze medal. Her record put her on the Tokyo Olympic roster. However, Zareen appealed for a selection trial. Mary Kom wasn’t much pleased with this. She comprehensively beat Zareen in the fight. After the match, she even refused to shake hands with the then inexperienced Zareen. It proved to be an embarrassing event for Zareen. But, she was no quitter. And three years down the line, she is a world champion. Mary Kom put up a tweet after her win.
Salman Khan’s tweet on Nikhat Zareen
Nikhat Zareen’s triumph earned her plenty of plaudits. But none more significant than Salman Khan’s Tweet. The Bollywood star acknowledged her win on Twitter. This brought the newly crowned world champion into tears. The reason is that she is a big fan of the star. The Boxing Federation put up a clip of her reaction. She can be visibly overjoyed while affectionately referring to him as Sallu.