Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen made a strong start at the Paris Olympics, defeating Germany’s Maxi Kloetzer in the women’s 50kg Round of 32. The two-time world champion secured a unanimous 5-0 victory despite a challenging beginning in the bout held at the North Paris Arena.
In the first round, Kloetzer gained an early lead with aggressive punches, winning the round with a split decision of 3-2. However, Zareen quickly regained her composure, taking control of the center of the ring and landing significant blows to her opponent. Her tactical prowess shone through in the second round as she connected with several powerful hooks.
🇮🇳 𝗡𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗭𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁! Nikhat Zareen advances to the round of 16 with a 5-0 win over Maxi Carina Kloetzer in her opening bout.
⏰ She will next take on China's Wu Yu on the 1st of August at 02:30 pm IST in the round of 16.… pic.twitter.com/xW5ePAtSvC
— Sportwalk Media (@sportwalkmedia) July 28, 2024
The match saw a tense exchange, with both fighters receiving penalties—Kloetzer for failing to keep her head up and Zareen for holding. The final round was marked by Zareen’s precise punches, while Kloetzer, visibly tired, struggled and resorted to grappling, drawing repeated cautions from the referee. Zareen’s persistence and skill secured her the win, advancing her to the pre-quarterfinals.
Zareen will next face Wu Yu of China, the top-seeded reigning flyweight world champion and Asian Games champion, on August 1st.
This victory follows a strong performance by fellow Indian boxer Preeti Pawar, who also advanced to the pre-quarterfinals in the women’s 54kg category. Pawar secured a unanimous decision win over Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh. The Indian boxing team is hopeful for more successes in the coming rounds.
