Nikhat, Mary Kom on collision course in trials
NEW DELHI: The last five months have been a battle for Nikhat Zareen; not in the ring, but outside it, trying to ensure that she finds her rightful place in the selection t rials f or t he f i rst Olympic qualifier in February. On the 27th and 28th of December, Zareen will need to focus all her energy inside the ring where MC Mary Kom would not spare an inch to her young challengers in her quest to compete in another Olympics.
For Zareen, the rising star in the 51kg category, to face off against Kom, both boxers will have to first see off their first round opponents on Friday.
Zareen will take on Jyoti Gulia, the 2017 world youth champion and current national champion. 19-year-old Gulia beat Ritu Grewal in the final of the national championships, and Grewal will be top seed Kom’s opponent.
All five categories in the twoday women’s selection trials, to be held at the IG Stadium here, features four contenders each.
If both Kom and Zareen win their first-round bouts, the much-anticipated showdown will happen on Saturday. The winner will be able to compete at the Tokyo Olympics qualifier in Wuhan from Feb 3-14.
The trials will be conducted by two-star AIBA judges and a referee from India, and will be recorded on camera. There will b e no r e v i e w o f t he b o ut s . Zareen and Kom faced each other in Guwahati in the semi-finals of the India Open where the six-time world champion won a close bout.
“I have watched the video of that bout again and again and I have learnt a lot from my mistakes. I am prepared this time,” Zareen had said during the Big Bout League, where she was scheduled to face Kom twice, before the latter pulled out due to back pain.
Zareen, 23, has had a breakthrough year, winning medals at key tournaments, including a bronze at the Asian Champions hi p s i n Apri l . Mary Kom switched her weight class from 48kg to 51kg to be able to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, and won a bronze in the category at the 2019 World Championships in October in Russia. Kom had been picked for the tournament without a t ri al , prompting Zareen to protest.
Besides 51kg, there will be stiff competition in 57 kg, which f eatures a mouthwatering line-up: Sonia Chahal, the 2018 World Championships silver medallist; Manisha Moun, the 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist; youth world c hampion Sakshi and 2 0 1 6 World Championships silver medallist Sonia Lather.
In 60kg, the seasoned L Sarita Devi will be in action, while World Championships bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain should have it easy in 69kg. Pooja Rani, the only woman to win gold at the Asian Championships this year, is likely to face a tough challenge from veteran Saweety Boora in 75kg.
MEN’S TRIALS
The men’s selection trials will be hel d o n Dec 2 9 - 3 0 a t t he Inspire Institute of Sport, Bellary, where they are currently training. Of the eight Olympic categories, trials will be held in six. Amit Panghal (52kg) and Manish Kaushik (63), who won silver and bronze medal respectively at the world championships, have been given direct berths.
Two c a t e g o r i e s t hat a r e crowded with quality boxers are 57kg and 69kg. Top seed Kavinder Bisht will be up for some serious challenge in 57kg, where youth word champion Sachin Si wach and 2 0 1 8 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gaurav Solanki have moved up after Panghal’s domination in the lower weight division (51kg). Not to forget Mohammad Hussamuddin, the Gold Coast CWG bronze medallist, who beat Siwach in a close fight to win the national championships title this year.
In 69kg, Vikas Krishan, who is coming back to amateur boxing after competing in professionally in the US, has been g i v e n t o p b i l l i ng. I t i s not expected to be a smooth ride for the 27-year-old Krishan, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games last year in 75kg but has now switched to 69kg. The contenders are Naveen Bora, the highly rated Army boxer who won the national title, Duryodhan Negi and Ashish.
“Krishan boxed well in South Asian Games. There was not much competition but technically, tactically he was perfect,” national coach CA Kuttapa said. “It has taken him some time to adjust because in professional boxing you are bit slow in the beginning. Here there is no time t o t hink and you have t o be aggressive from round one. He is coming back well.”