India’s campaign at the World Boxing Championships witnessed mixed fortunes on Saturday as Nikhat Zareen marked her international comeback with a commanding win, while Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain bowed out early after a shock defeat.
Returning to the ring after over a year due to injury, Nikhat showed no signs of rust in her 51kg bout. The two-time world champion put on a composed and clinical display against USA’s Jennifer Lozano, securing a unanimous 5-0 victory in the round of 32. Despite a tentative start where she struggled to find her rhythm, Nikhat gradually asserted control with sharp footwork and clean combinations that impressed all five judges.
The same stage brought disappointment for Lovlina, who was seeded No. 1 in the women’s 75kg division. Facing Turkey’s Busra Isildar, the Tokyo Olympic medallist failed to find her footing in a bout that turned scrappy and directionless. Lovlina was unable to land meaningful punches as the Turkish southpaw capitalised on brief openings and edged the exchanges to earn a comprehensive 5-0 win in the round of 16.
On the men’s side, debutant Hitesh Gulia also suffered a setback. Competing in the 70kg category, Gulia lost a tightly contested match to Netherlands’ Bos Finn Robert by a 1-4 margin. The 21-year-old, a World Cup gold and silver medallist, had entered the bout with high expectations after a first-round bye. While he started cautiously and upped the intensity in the second round, a critical lapse in the final round saw Robert land a clean hook that forced a standing count. That moment proved decisive as Gulia couldn’t overturn the deficit despite a strong finish.
There was some positive news for India from the heavyweight division. Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal began his campaign on Friday night with a hard-earned win in the men’s 90kg category. Taking on Ireland’s Martin Christopher McDonagh, Narender started slow but came back strongly in the latter rounds with accurate straight punches. His improved work rate in the second and third rounds helped him clinch a 4-1 split decision and progress to the round of 16.