There’s a certain inevitability about Nikhat Zareen when she steps inside the ring. An aura built on years of discipline, setbacks and triumphs. On Tuesday, that aura only grew brighter. The two-time world champion, calm yet ruthless, absorbed an early storm from Japan’s Yuma Nishinaka before flipping the script in trademark fashion, dictating the pace and punishing every mistake. By the end of three engrossing rounds, Nikhat had her hand raised with a 5-0 verdict, marching into the 51kg quarterfinals at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool.The victory set up a fiery quarterfinal clash with Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu, one of the most decorated boxers in the weight division. Cakiroglu, a two-time Olympic silver medallist and former world champion, represents a major hurdle in Nikhat’s quest for a third world crown. For Indian fans and the global boxing fraternity, this matchup is going to be one of the most anticipated bouts of the tournament. A win for Nikhat will assure her of a medal on the sport’s biggest stage.Nikhat began her pre-quarterfinal bout against Nishinaka with trademark energy, but the Japanese boxer caught her by surprise with a spirited performance. Nishinaka used quick movement and consistent jabs to disrupt Nikhat’s rhythm. It was a cautious start for Nikhat, who usually dictates terms right from the opening bell. Nishinaka’s approach forced Nikhat into adopting a more measured strategy.The Indian stayed calm under pressure, refusing to let early disruptions spark frustration. Her ability to adapt soon turned the tide. By the end of the first round, Nikhat had begun closing the distance more effectively, landing cleaner punches and using her footwork to draw Nishinaka into errors.The Japanese boxer, sensing the bout slipping away, increasingly resorted to ‘clinching’ — a defensive tactic where a boxer wraps their arms around opponent’s upper body or arms to tie them up, halt their attack and gain moments to recover — to cut off Nikhat’s attacking momentum. But this move eventually backfired, as Nishinaka was docked two penalty points for excessive holding. Those deductions tilted the scoreline further in Nikhat’s favor.From the second round onward, Nikhat was in full control. Her sharp combinations and well-timed right crosses began to pierce Nishinaka’s guard with increasing frequency. With penalty points already working against her, the Japanese boxer had to come forward in search of points, leaving her open to counterattacks. Nikhat seized that opportunity, punishing every mistake with precision.By the third round, the outcome was all but certain, with the judges unanimously awarding the Indian each of the three rounds. The 5-0 verdict not only reflected Nikhat’s dominance but also her composure in managing what could have been a tricky contest.While Nikhat’s march into the last eight lifted Indian spirits, the overall mood in the Indian camp was tempered by setbacks suffered by the men’s contingent. Four Indian boxers — Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg) and Narender Berwal (90+kg) — bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals, ending their Liverpool campaign earlier than anticipated.Lakshya’s campaign ended abruptly as he suffered a 0-3 defeat to Frenchman Yojerlin Cesar. The Indian found himself on the back foot early, struggling to impose his reach against the agile Frenchman.Sumit Kundu endured the toughest bout of the lot, running into Bulgaria’s Rami Kiwan, the reigning European middleweight champion. Kiwan showcased his class with a dominant display, outpunching and outmaneuvering Sumit to win a unanimous 5-0 verdict.Sachin Siwach fared slightly better but was undone by Kazakhstan’s Biibars Zhexen in the 60kg division. Despite pocketing one of the judges’ scorecards, Sachin was largely second-best for much of the bout in his 1-4 defeat.
