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.
What appeared to be a promising path to the podium took an unexpected turn, leading to early exits for both athletes. But their untimely departures weren’t solely due to their performance—the unseeded status of the top Indian boxers played a significant role in their swift exits.
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:
Why Was Nikhat Zareen Left Unseeded?
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.
Consequently, the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit did not count her IBA-organised World Championship titles in this Olympic cycle. This left her without any byes, requiring her to fight four bouts to reach the final. Despite being a two-time world champion, she was treated as just another competitor, with her bronze at the Asian Games also disregarded.
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.
What Did Nikhat’s Draw Look Like?
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.
Had Nikhat been seeded, this clash would have been reserved for a later stage, potentially for a podium finish. Notably, this was their first meeting in the ring.
What Was Amit Panghal’s Draw Like?
Amit Panghal faced a challenging comeback at the Paris Olympics, returning to the national team after a three-year hiatus. Panghal found himself in a tough bracket, too, up against the favoured Hsanboy Dusmatov, who was expected to dominate the Men’s 51kg event, and Saken Bibossinov, another elite boxer. The presence of these two former World Championship medalists in the same category made Panghal’s path to a medal even more daunting.
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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