Chek de: Telangana's daughter Nikhat Zareen makes India proud, wins gold in Women's World Boxing Championship

Hyderabad: Telangana's Nikhat Zareen has made India proud by winning the Women's World Boxing Championship in Istanbul on Thursday.

She defeated Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas in the 52 kg flyweight category 5-0

With this win, Zareen became only the fifth Indian boxer to be crowned world champion.

Six-time champions Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2018) Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006), and Lekha KC (2006) are the other pugilists who have won the world title.

Apart from Zareen's gold, Manisha Moun (57kg) and debutant Parveen Hooda (63kg) won bronze medals.

A 12-member Indian contingent was sent to participate in the competition. While the medal haul has decreased by one, an Indian has been crowned world champion after four years. Mary Kom had last won the gold in the 48kg in 2018.

Hailing from Nizamabad, the 25-year-old Zareen has been boxing since childhood. She won a gold medal at the International Boxing Association Women's Youth and Junior World Championships in 2011. She won a bronze at the 2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament in 2019 held in Guwahati.

In the same year, she beat Turkey's Olympics silver medalist Buse Naz Cakiroglu. She won the gold medal in Starndja Memorial Boxing Tournament. However, in the 57kg weight category, Manisha Moun finished her campaign with a bronze medal as she lost her semi-final bout to Italy's Irma Testa.

In the last edition of the IBA Women's World Championships held in Russia in 2019, India won one silver and three bronze medals. Indian boxers have won 36 medals, including nine gold, eight silver, and 19 bronze, in the 11 previous editions of the tournament, so far – the third-highest after Russia (60) and China (50).