Minakshi, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain bag gold at National Boxing

Jadumani Singh clinched his first senior national crown in the men’s 50-55kg category as SSCB topped the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships with 12 gold medals. Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen and Minakshi also bagged titles in Greater Noida

Hyderabad: Boxing World Cup Finals silver medallist Jadumani Singh displayed a mix of aggression and technical superiority to defeat fellow international and SSCB teammate Pawan Bartwal to clinch his first Senior National crown in the men’s 50-55kg category, while SSCB topped the overall standings with 12 gold medals in the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships with easy wins at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida (Delhi) on Saturday.

This was the first time that the men’s and women’s National Championships were held simultaneously at the same venue, with 600 boxers from across the country participating in 10 weight categories each for men and women.

---

SSCB won nine titles in the men’s section and three in the women’s section.

While many star boxers of the country were in action on the final day, all eyes were on the clash between Jadumani and Pawan as both had won medals on the international stage last year. But on Saturday, Pawan was no match for Jadumani’s guile as the latter won 5:0 to clinch the gold medal.

A few minutes later, SSCB’s Aditya Pratap (men’s 60-65kg) got the better of Abhinash Jamwal of Himachal 3:2, while Ankush (men’s 75-80kg) defeated Malsawmtluanga to bag his maiden senior national title.

In the women’s section, SSCB’s Preeti (51-54kg) and Pranjal Yadav (60-65kg), and Railway’s Priya (57-60kg) and Alfiyan Khan (80+kg) bagged their first-ever senior national gold medals. Meanwhile, world champion Minakshi established her supremacy in the women’s 45-48kg category with a 5:0 win over Manju Rani of RSPB, while Telangana’s two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen packed off Nitu of Haryana by an identical margin in the women’s 48-51kg final.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (women’s 70-75kg) defeated Sanamacha Chanu Thokchom of Railways to win the gold medal.

Mohammad Hussamuddin of Telangana, representing Services, emerged champion in the 60 kg category with a 3-2 verdict against  his teammate Sachin Siwach.