Hangzhou, (UNI) India’s Nikhat Zareen succumbed 2-3 to Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat in the women’s 50kg semifinal of the Asian Games 2023 boxing event here on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Parveen Hooda has assured herself a medal in the women’s 57kg.
This was an anti-climax outcome for Nikhat Zareen as she lost to Chuthamat in a split decision after she had defeated her rival in the quarterfinals of the world championships earlier this year.
Both the boxers started the bout cautiously by landing soft punches and jabs at each other. In the final round, the Thai pugilist prevailed with some decisive hooks before winning by a whisker.
Earlier in the day, Parveen Hooda booked a semifinal berth in the women’s 57kg by overwhelming Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova through unanimous decision. The 23-year-old Indian boxer, by virtue of making the top four, obtained a maiden Asian Games medal and a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics next year.
However, as National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Boxing at the Asian Games 2023 is also a Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier event.
In men’s events, the gold and silver medallists in each of the seven weight divisions will be issued a quota to Paris 2024. In the women’s categories, four quotas will be on offer for all categories other than the 66kg and 75kg, for which there will be two berths on offer like men’s.
Parveen Hooda will face Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Lamboria missed out on a medal after she lost by RSC (referee stops count) in the women’s 60kg quarters against Ungyong Won of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Indian boxer endured three standing counts in a space of one minute before the referee stopped the bout.
