Birmingham: The invincible Nikhat Zareen joined Indian pugilists Nitu Ghanghas and Amit Panghal to win India's third gold medal in light flyweight (50kg) boxing at CWG here on Sunday.
The Indian boxer punched her way to a comprehensive 5-0 win her debut CWG appearance over Northern Ireland's Carly Mc Naul. After being in charge of the first two rounds, she was proficient in the third round.
Carly kept threatening all three rounds, but looked jaded against a younger and befitting Nikhat.
In the first round, Nikhat was circumspect as she moved smartly and landed a few powerful punches, jabs and cuts.
The Indian boxer also mixed her aggression with defence. These smart moves ensured her victory, putting Carly under pressure.
Nikhat's dominance was such that she was very much on the cusp of winning the CWG gold medal in the second round itself. Carly had no clue to her rival's attack and defence.
In the final round, Nikhat drew the attention of all the five judges, who handed out a unanimous decision in her favour.
Nikhat's CWG 2022 campaign began against Mozambique's Helena Ismael Bagao in the round of 16 bout.
In the quarterfinal, her challenger was Helen Jones of Wales. As expected, Nikhat was at her best and won all the three rounds, booking a berth in the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Nikhat overpowered England's Savannah Alfia Stubley with her sheer dominant performance. Despite the spectators behind the home star, she won all the three rounds with perfect scores and advanced to the finals with a unanimous 5-0 victory. (UNI)