Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain seal CWG berths

Nikhat Zareen and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain on Saturday sealed their berths in the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games with dominating wins in the selection trials. While Nikhat, the two-time Strandja Memorial gold medallist, blanked Haryana's Minakshi via a 7-0 unanimous decision, Lovlina out-classed Railways Pooja by an identical margin. Nitu (48kg) and Jasmine (60kg) were the other boxers, who also sealed spots for the quadrennial event.

Nikhat looked in control throughout her bout, landing clear punches as she danced around the ring. A two-time former youth world champion, Nitu eked out a 5-2 split decision win over 2019 silver medallist Manju Rani. The Haryana boxer is enjoying a good year. She had won the gold at the Strandja Memorial tournament earlier this year. Jasmine, the 2021 Asian youth boxing Championship bronze medallist, out-punched 2022 world championship bronze medallist Parveen Hooda in a fast-paced light-middleweight final. The CWG is set to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8. Team: Nitu (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Jasmine (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain(70Kg).