India’s boxing star Nikhat Zareen faced an early exit from the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday, as her campaign came to a close in the women’s 50kg event. In the round of 16, Wu Yu of the People’s Republic of China defeated Zareen, a two-time world champion. The bout concluded with a unanimous decision in favor of Wu Yu, the reigning Asian Games champion and top seed in the category.
Zareen, who qualified for the Paris Games with a bronze medal finish at the Asian Games last year. Had shown promise by securing a decisive 5:0 victory over Germany’s Maxi Carina Kloetzer in the round of 32. However, Wu Yu’s superior performance ended Zareen’s hopes of a medal in her Olympic debut.
With Zareen’s departure, the tournament has eliminated four out of six Indian boxers so far. Amit Panghal and Preeti Pawar were also knocked out in the round of 16, while Jaismine Lamboria was defeated in the round of 32.
On a brighter note, Tokyo 2020 medallists Lovlina Borgohain and Nishant Dev advanced to the quarter-finals. Nishant will face the second-seeded Marco Verde of Mexico on Saturday, while Borgohain will compete against top seed Li Qian of China on Sunday.
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