India earned the first quota in the boxing event for the Paris 2024 Olympics after World Champion Nikhat Zareen reached the women’s 50kg boxing event semifinal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou (China).
While Friday (September 29) was an eventful day for India at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2023, the 27-year-old Nikhat Zareen secured India’s first boxing quota for the next year’s Summer Olympics with a quick dominating win.
Asian Games 2023: Women’s 50kg Boxing Event – Nikhat Zareen beat Hanan Nassar in less than a minute
It was the women’s 50kg boxing event quarterfinal at the Asian Games 2023, which was Nikhat’s first Asian Games appearance, where the Indian beat Jordan’s Hanan Nassar in only 53 seconds by the RSC (referee stops count). Nikhat’s powerful jab was too strong for Hanan, who was soon declared unfit to continue the fight with the RSC, as the Indian won that battle in less than a minute.
Besides booking India’s first boxing quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nikhat also confirmed one boxing medal for India by advancing to the Asiad semifinal.
How does the Paris 2024 Olympics boxing qualification work at the Asian Games 2023?
The Asian Games 2023 boxing event is a qualification part of the Paris 2024 Olympics. While the men’s events finalists can confirm the national boxing quota in the respective categories for the next Summer Olympics, the top four players from women’s events, only excluding the 66 kg and 75 kg, can book a similar national quota for the forthcoming Summer Olympics.
Talking about the eligibility quota in each weight category for the Paris 2024 Olympics, it is only possible for one boxer from each country.
Who is Nikhat Zareen?
Nikhat Zareen has won two consecutive Boxing World Championships in 2022 and 2023. In the light flyweights (48-50kg) event at the Commonwealth Games 2022, Nikhat won a gold medal.
In 2011, Nikhat won the gold medal at the AIBA Women's Youth & Junior World Boxing Championships.
In December 2014, Nikhat was appointed the official ambassador of her hometown, Nizamabad, in Telangana.
In 2022, Nikhat was honoured with the Arjuna Award.
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