PARIS: Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen delivered a commanding performance in her opening bout at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Defeating Germany’s Maxi Carina Kloetzer by a unanimous decision in the women’s 50kg round of 32. The match, held at the Arena Paris Nord on Sunday, saw Zareen overcome an initial struggle to secure a decisive 5-0 victory.
Competing in her Olympic debut, Zareen faced a challenging start as Kloetzer launched effective jabs in the first round. Despite Zareen’s counterattacks, the judges initially favored the German with a 3-2 score. However, Zareen’s resilience shone through as she intensified her efforts in the second round. Leading to point deductions for both fighters due to rule violations.
As the bout progressed into the third round, Zareen used her experience to evade Kloetzer’s attacks and dominate the round. Ultimately securing a unanimous decision win. “My Olympic strategy is to take each bout one at a time, and my focus was always on this bout,” Zareen commented after the match. “After so much hard work and struggle, I am here at the Olympics representing my country.”
Looking ahead, Zareen will face the top-seeded Wu Yu from the People’s Republic of China in the round of 16 on Thursday. Wu Yu, the reigning world champion in the 52kg category and gold medalist at the Asian Games, presents a significant challenge. “I’ll now sit with my coaches and study Wu Yu’s game to devise a strategy,” Zareen said. “She is the top seed, and it’s a big challenge, but I approach every bout with the same mindset.”
Indian boxing fans will also see action from Amit Panghal and Jaismine Lamboria on Tuesday. Panghal will compete in the men’s 51kg category against Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba. While Lamboria takes on Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines, a silver medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
