Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen. (X)
The Indian boxing contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024 has been handed a difficult draw at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Indian boxing contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024 has to toil harder to get closer to medals, given their tougher draws. The showpiece event gets underway in the French capital on Saturday with the boxing events scheduled to be held in the North Paris Arena.
Speaking of the draws, 2-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen will clash with Germany’s Maxi Klotzer in the round of 32 of the women’s 50kg category. If she progresses to the next round, of 16, she will face top-seeded Chinese Asian Games champion and 52kg world champion, Wu Yu. A victory over Chinese pugilist will pit her against Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksa who had beaten Zareen in the Asian Games semis.
Tokyo Bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain will take on Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad in the first round of the women’s 75 kg category. A victory will make her face two-time Olympic medallist Li Qian who had defeated the Indian in the Asian Games gold medal match.
Among other women’s boxing contenders, Preeti Pawar will face Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh in the first round and Worlds silver medallist Yeni Arias of Colombia. Jaismine Lamboria will square off against Olympic silver medallist Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines in the 57kg category.
The challenge would get tougher even if Lovlina gets the better of Qian as a victory will take the former to the quarters against fifth-seeded Worlds silver medallist Caitlin Parker of Australia or Morocco’s world champion fourth-seeded Moroccan Khadija El-Mardi.
Former Worlds silver medallist Amit Panghal may also have a challenging outing in the men’s 51kg category. Despite receiving a first-round bye, he will face Patrick Chinyemba of Zambia, the African Games champion, in the second round. If Panghal manages to get past the Zambian then he will face Thailand’s Asian Games silver medallist Thitisan Panmot in the quarterfinals.
If Panghal manages to bag the ticket to the semis, he is likely to face either Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Kazakh Saken Bibossinov or World champion Uzbek Hasanboy Dusmatov.
Meanwhile, Nishant Dev will be up against Jose Rodriguez Tenorio of Ecuador in the men’s 71 kg category.
Draw for Indian Boxers
Women 50kg: Nikhat Zareen vs Maxi Carina Kloetzer (GER) – Round of 32
Women’s 54kg: Preeti Pawar vs Vo Thi Kim Anh (VIE) – Round of 32
Women’s 57kg: Jaismine Lamboria vs Nesthy Petecio (PHI) – Round of 32
Women’s 75kg: Round of 16: Lovlina Borgohain vs Sunniva Hofstad (NOR) – Round of 16
Men’s 51kg: Round of 16: Amit Panghal vs Patrick Chinyemba (ZAM) – Round of 16
Men’s 71kg: Round of 16: Nishant Dev vs Jose Rodriguez Tenorio (ECU) – Round of 16
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