In a big flip of occasions on the Nationwide Institute of Sports activities (NIS), two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen has did not safe a spot for the upcoming Asian Video games and Commonwealth Video games. Competing within the ladies’s 51kg semi-finals in the course of the nationwide trials, Zareen suffered a 1-4 defeat by the hands of Sakshi Chaudhary on Thursday, Might 14.
The end result confirms that the 29-year-old Nikhat, whose type has fluctuated in current months, won’t be a part of the Indian contingent for the upcoming main championships. The 51kg class noticed additional upsets as Meenakshi defeated Nitu Ghanghas, guaranteeing a recent search for the squad on this division.
Nikhat Zareen’s participation within the trials grew to become obligatory after she did not safe direct entry throughout final month’s Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In that event, she reached the semi-finals however was outpointed 0-5 by China’s Wu Yu, the reigning Olympic gold medallist. Solely those that reached the finals in Mongolia had been granted computerized qualification for the Asian Video games.
Nikhat’s battle to discover a well beyond Wu Yu has turn out to be a recurring theme in her current profession, with the Chinese language Olympic champion serving as her Achilles’ heel each within the semi-finals in Ulaanbaatar and throughout her Spherical of 16 exit on the Paris 2024 Video games.
Consequently, whereas teammates Sachin Siwach (males’s 60kg), Preeti Pawar (ladies’s 54kg), and Priya Ghanghas (ladies’s 60kg) have already confirmed their locations, Zareen was compelled into the Patiala trials to battle for her spot.
SELECTION TURMOIL
The trials passed off towards a backdrop of administrative friction between the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). Earlier this week, SAI intervened to droop the BFI’s nationwide camp following complaints concerning a brand new “marking-based” choice coverage.
Critics argued the system, which assessed boxers on sports activities science and attendance slightly than pure outcomes, lacked transparency. Following a show-cause discover from the Sports activities Ministry, the BFI scrapped the controversial coverage and reverted to the open sparring format that in the end noticed Zareen exit the race.
With the 2018 gold medallist now sidelined, the BFI will look towards a revamped squad for the 2026 worldwide calendar.
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