Elite Women's Boxing Tournament: World Champions Ankushita Boro, Nikhat Zareen advance to semi-final

Hyderabad, June 29 (IANS) Former youth world champion Ankushita Boro showcased her class on Day 2 of the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament, advancing to the semifinals in the 65kg category with a clinical 5:0 win over Rajasthan pugilist Parthvi on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the 51kg division, home favourite and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen delighted the Hyderabad crowd with a dominant 5:0 victory over Kalpana. Nikhat had opened her campaign with a clinical 4:1 win over Uttar Pradesh’s Rashi Sharma on Saturday.

Organised by the Telangana Boxing Federation under the aegis of the Boxing Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Telangana, the tournament brings together top-tier names and emerging prospects from across the country. With 15 participating units—including 12 best from the recent Elite Nationals, host Telangana, the SAI NCOE Combined team, and the TOPS Talent & Development squad—the competition is part of BFI’s ongoing initiative to refine the national pool and scout future stars.

Other notable quarterfinal results saw Preeti (54kg), Jyoti (51kg), and Devika Ghorpade (51kg) book their semifinal berths with clean, unanimous wins. Tamil Nadu’s V. Lakshaya (51kg) impressed with a 5:0 win over Laxmi Devi, while Tanu (54kg), Shashi (65kg), and Yashi Sharma (65kg) also moved ahead after solid outings. Ankushita’s TOPS teammate Gitimoni Gogoi advanced in 70kg via RSC, and Babirojsana Chanu (57kg) registered a stoppage win in the second round.

Other notable Day 1 results included a win for 2023 world champion Nitu (Haryana) in 45–48kg over Rajani Singh (UP) 5:0, while Telangana’s Yashi Sharma defeated K. Monisha (Tamil Nadu) 5:0 in the 60–65kg category.

The tournament, serving as a gateway to the elite national camp in Patiala, continues at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, with semifinals scheduled for Monday.

--IANS

aaa/