World Boxing Championships: Nikhat Zareen Bows Out In Quarterfinals

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 23:55 IST

Nikhat's pursuit of a third consecutive medal came to an end as the 29-year-old lost 0-5 to two-time Olympic silver medallist Buse Naz Cakiroglu.

Nikhat Zareen entered the tournament recovering from an injury. (PTI Photo)

Jaismine Lamboria and Nupur Sheoran guaranteed India two medals at the ongoing World Boxing Championships but it was curtains for two-time champion Nikhat Zareen who exited in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Nikhat’s pursuit of a third consecutive medal came to an end as the 29-year-old lost 0-5 to two-time Olympic silver medallist Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkiye in the 51kg quarterfinals.

The match was always expected to be challenging for Nikhat, who is recovering from an injury. Having sparred before the Paris Olympics, both boxers were familiar with each other’s styles.

Though Nikhat managed to land a series of hooks briefly, Cakiroglu controlled most of the bout with precise punches.

Nikhat tried to dominate the centre of the ring, but Cakiroglu confidently backpedalled, landing punches easily on the Indian in the opening round.

At one point, Nikhat appeared to gain the upper hand with a sequence of hooks. However, the Turkish boxer, despite being docked a point, quickly regained momentum, landing sharp shots to secure her fourth World Championships medal.

Still, Nupur and Jaismine ensured there was something to celebrate.

World Boxing Cup gold medallist Jaismine defeated Uzbekistan’s Khumorabonu Mamajonovato, securing her place in the 57kg semifinals.

Jaismine effectively used her long reach to dominate, controlling the bout from a distance with sharp jabs and smart defence, securing a comfortable 5-0 win.

With their victories, Jaismine and Nupur have assured themselves of at least a bronze medal each.

Nupur, granddaughter of legendary boxer Hawa Singh, overcame a scrappy contest to beat Uzbekistan’s Oltinoy Sotimboeva 4-1 in the +80kg event, a non-Olympic weight category with only 10 boxers in this competition.

Entering the competition directly in the quarterfinals due to her gold medal finish at the World Cup in Kazakhstan, the 26-year-old Nupur started brightly, landing a sharp combination early on.

The Uzbek boxer responded with a straight jab, but frequent clinching disrupted the flow. Nupur’s cleaner punches helped her take the opening round on four of the five cards.

In the second round, the 20-year-old Sotimboeva did not back down, keeping the exchanges messy and managing to sway two judges despite Nupur’s flurry of shots at the end.

In the final round, both boxers were docked a point—Sotimboeva for excessive holding and Nupur for using her head—nullifying any advantage.

While the closing stages saw more swinging than scoring, Nupur’s ability to land cleaner punches was decisive in booking her spot in the semifinals, where she will face Turkiye’s Seyma Duztas.

On Tuesday night, Jadumani Singh (48kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) advanced to the men’s quarterfinals with comprehensive wins, while Jugnoo Ahlawat’s (85kg) campaign ended in the opening round against Scotland’s Robert McNulty.

Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...Read More

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...

Read More

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

News sports World Boxing Championships: Nikhat Zareen Bows Out In Quarterfinals

Read More