Women's boxing: Zareen wins bout after injury comeback

The Hyderabad girl made a perfect start to the National women's boxing championship by recording a 5-0 win over Anju Sabu in a 51kg bout on Monday and looked forward to establish herself in one of the most competitive weights.

Nikhat Zareen after winning her first round bout at the National women's boxing championship in Rohtak on Monday.

Featuring in her first competition after almost a year's lay-off due to a shoulder dislocation, former World junior champion Nikhat Zareen is keen to use the National women's boxing championship, at the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex here, to regain her self-belief.

The Hyderabad girl made a perfect start by recording a 5-0 win over Anju Sabu in a 51kg bout on Monday and looked forward to establish herself in one of the most competitive weights.

Nikhat began cautiously by utilising her left jabs, but grew in confidence to employ her combinations against the Kerala boxer.

The 21-year-old dislocated her right shoulder during a bout in the all-India inter-university championship in Jalandhar early last year. She went through a surgery (in February) and the ensuing rehab process before resuming her training in October.

“I sparred with some foreign boxers during the World youth women's boxing championship in Guwahati in November. I overcame the doubt about my shoulder after seeing a sports psychologist,” said Nikhat, a silver medallist in the previous edition.

“My target is to win the gold medal here ahead of the Commonwealth and Asian Games and the World championship (in Delhi) and establish myself in 51kg before the preparations for the 2020 Olympics,” said Nikhat.

World youth champion Shashi Chopra saw off an aggressive and onrushing Samim Banu with a 5-0 victory in a 57kg first round duel.

“Feels great to make the switch to the elite level. I hope to win the title,” said Shashi.

Important results (preliminary rounds):

48kg: G.Jyothi (AP) bt Subhadra Singh (Odi) 5-0, Khushboo Tokas (Del) bt Shilpa Kamath (Kar) 5-0, Rituz (Chd) bt Rinkumoni Phukan (Asm) 3-2.

51kg: Ritu (Har) bt Manju Basumatary (Asm) 4-1, Lalnunfeli (Miz) bt K. Nivetha (TN) 5-0, Sila Devi (Aru) bt Rajani Singh (UP) 3-2, Nikhat Zareen (Tel) bt Anju Sabu (Ker) 5-0.

54kg: G.Sujatha (AP) bt Jamuna Boro (Asm) 5-0, N.L. Thampy (Ker) bt Anamika Kumari (Bih) 5-0, Richa Sharma (WB) bt Jamuna Devi (Man) 4-1.

57kg: Shagolsem Chanu (Aru) bt Ambala Hema (Tel) 5-0, Manjesh Singh (UP) bt Kiran (HP) 4-1, Shashi Chopra (Har) bt Samim Banu (Man) 5-0.

60kg: Manju (Chd) bt A.Prasanna Laxmi (Tel) 5-0, Bhagyashree Purohit (Mah) bt Reenashree (HP) 5-0, Pavitra (RSPB) bt Mamta Verma (Raj) 5-0.

64kg: Sarika Kumari (Jha) bt Divya Ganesh (Ker) 5-0, Vinita Meher (Utk) bt Shreya Sonaya (MP) 5-0.