World Boxing Championships 2025: Nikhat Zareen Sails Into Quarterfinals with Dominant Win

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Liverpool, Sep 9: Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen stormed into the quarterfinals of the World Boxing Championships 2025 with a commanding 5:0 victory over Japan's Yuma Nishinaka in the women's 51kg pre-quarterfinals on Tuesday (September 9).

The 29-year-old Indian, competing in her first international tournament of the year, overcame a spirited start from Nishinaka, who tried to disrupt her rhythm with frequent clinching. However, the Japanese boxer's strategy backfired, as she was penalized twice, allowing Nikhat to assert complete control in the later rounds.

India has sent a strong 20-member contingent to Liverpool for the inaugural World Championships, organized under the aegis of the World Boxing, a newly formed international governing body for the sport. The country is aiming for multiple podium finishes across both men's and women's categories.

Apart from Nikhat, three other Indian women boxers are just a win away from sealing medals, while five more will step into the ring for their respective pre-quarterfinal bouts later today.

However, India faced setbacks in the men's section as Sachin (60kg), Sumit (75kg), and Narender (90+kg) bowed out of the tournament. Sachin lost 1:4 to Kazakhstan's Biibars Zhexen, Sumit suffered a 0:5 defeat against Bulgaria's Rami Kiwan, and Narender went down 1:4 against Italy's Diego Lenzi.

In the women's 65kg pre-quarterfinals, Neeraj Phogat put up a gritty performance but lost narrowly to England's Sacha Hickey in a 2:3 split verdict.

With Nikhat leading the charge, India's hopes remain high as the tournament progresses, with medal prospects alive in multiple weight categories.