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In the high-stakes arena of sports, where every move is calculated and every second counts, luck often hovers like an unseen spectre. This elusive force played a crucial role in the fate of two of India's medal hopes in boxing—Nikhat Zareen and Amit Panghal—at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Let’s explore how fortune and a conflict between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA) impacted these Indian boxers' pursuit of Olympic glory:
First, let's understand why Nikhat Zareen was left unseeded at the Paris Olympics. The IOC no longer recognises the IBA due to governance and financial issues.
As a result, Nikhat faced one of the toughest draws in her weight category, with some of the top boxers from different countries in her group.
Similarly, Amit Panghal encountered a challenging draw, underscoring the impact of their unseeded status.
Nikhat Zareen faced one of the most challenging draws, navigating a difficult path to the medal podium. Her journey began with a tough match against Germany’s Maxi Carina Kloetzer in the Round of 32, where Nikhat triumphed with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision from the judges.
The real test came in the Round of 16, where she encountered Wu Yu, the top seed from China, who is the reigning World Champion in the 52kg division and an Asian Games gold medalist. Nikhat was defeated 0-5 by Wu Yu.
The Indian pugilist's journey was cut short when he lost his opening bout in the 51kg category to the third-seeded Patrick Chinyemba, with a score of 1-4. Chinyemba, a bronze medalist from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, also competed in the Tokyo Olympics.
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