Paris Olympics 2024: Nikhat-Lovlina's challenging paths revealed
Xtra Time Web Desk: As the Paris Olympics 2024 kicks off from July 26, Indian boxing will be in the spotlight with six athletes representing the country. The draws have set up formidable challenges for India’s medal contenders, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, while promising matches await others.
Nikhat Zareen faces a daunting path in the women’s 50kg category. In the round of 32, she will clash with Germany's Maxi Carina Kloetzer. A victory here could set up a high-stakes bout against China’s Wu Yu, the reigning Asian Games champion. Zareen, a two-time world champion in this weight class, faces a stern test as she could encounter Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat or Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova in the quarterfinals. Both Raksat and Bobokulova have previously bested Zareen, adding to the complexity of her journey.
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Lovlina Borgohain, competing in the women’s 75kg category, starts her campaign in the round of 16 against Norway's Sunniva Hofstad. Should Borgohain advance, she will likely face China’s Li Qian, a two-time Olympic medallist and reigning Asian Games gold medallist who defeated Borgohain in their recent encounter at the Hangzhou Games.
In the women’s 57kg event, Jaismine Lamboria will battle against Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines in the round of 32. Meanwhile, Preeti Pawar, who secured a bronze medal at last year's Asian Games, will compete against Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh in the same round.
On the men’s side, Amit Panghal and Nishant Dev have been granted byes to the round of 16. Panghal, competing in the men’s 51kg category, will face Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba, a bronze medallist from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Dev will go up against Jose Rodriguez Tenorio of Ecuador in the men’s 71kg division.
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Here’s a summary of the draws for Indian boxers:
- Women’s 50kg: Nikhat Zareen vs Maxi Carina Kloetzer (GER) - Round of 32
- Women’s 57kg: Jaismine Lamboria vs Nesthy Petecio (PHI) - Round of 32
- Women’s 75kg: Lovlina Borgohain vs Sunniva Hofstad (NOR) - Round of 16
- Men’s 51kg: Amit Panghal vs Patrick Chinyemba (ZAM) - Round of 16
- Men’s 71kg: Nishant Dev vs Jose Rodriguez Tenorio (ECU) - Round of 16
With such a challenging draw, India's boxing squad will need to summon their best performances to secure medals at the Paris Games.
