Nikhat Zareen & Ankushita Boro Storm Into Semis at Elite Women’s Boxing

June 29, 2025: Boxing stars Ankushita Boro and Nikhat Zareen delivered knockout performances on Day 2 of the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament, securing their places in the semi-finals with dominant wins.

Former youth world champion Ankushita Boro showcased her experience in the 65kg category with a clean 5:0 victory over Rajasthan’s Parthvi. In the 51kg division, local favorite and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen thrilled the Hyderabad crowd, defeating Kalpana with an equally emphatic 5:0 scoreline.

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The tournament, held at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, is being organized by the Telangana Boxing Federation in collaboration with the Boxing Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Telangana. It features 15 participating units, including top contenders from the Elite Nationals, the SAI NCOE Combined Team, and the TOPS Talent & Development squad.

The competition serves as a key selection platform for India’s elite national boxing camp in Patiala and aims to identify emerging boxing talents.

Other impressive quarter-final wins included Preeti (54kg), Jyoti (51kg), and Devika Ghorpade (51kg), all of whom secured unanimous 5:0 victories. Tamil Nadu’s V. Lakshaya (51kg) also shone with a dominant win over Laxmi Devi. Tanu (54kg), Shashi (65kg), and Yashi Sharma (65kg) punched their way into the next round with strong performances.

Ankushita’s teammate from the TOPS squad, Gitimoni Gogoi (70kg), advanced via RSC, while Babirojsana Chanu (57kg) scored a stoppage win in the second round.

Earlier, Zareen had launched her campaign with a 4:1 win over Uttar Pradesh’s Rashi Sharma. Haryana’s Anjali pulled off an upset by defeating World Championship bronze medalist Manisha Moun in the 57–60kg bout. Another highlight from Day 1 was 2023 World Champion Nitu (Haryana) cruising to a 5:0 win over Rajani Singh (UP) in the 45–48kg category.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Monday as the race for national camp selection intensifies.