Double Delight: Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora become world champions
New Delhi, Mar 25: Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and the seasoned Saweety Boora (81kg) etched their names in history as they were crowned world champions after notching contrasting wins at the marquee tournament here on Saturday.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nitu put up a stupendous performance to see off Mongolia's Lutsaikhan Altansetseg 5-0 and claim the title for the minimum weight category in front of a packed crowd, with Beijing Olympics bronze medallist and Nitu's idol Vijender Singh also present.
Saweety made it two out of two for the hosts as she warded off a challenge from two-time medallist China's Wang Lina.
In the first bout of the day, Nitu started off aggressively and used her combination of punches, landing jabs and hooks effectively.
The 22-year-old Bhiwani boxer was able to take the first round 5-0. She began the second round with a series of straight jabs.
When Altansetseg attacked, the Indian southpaw countered with right hooks. The two boxers played from a close range and indulged in a lot of holding in a fast-paced bout with Nitu being given a penalty deduction for clinching towards the end of the second round.
Despite Altansetseg's strong comeback in the round, Nitu still managed to take it 3-2.
In the final three minutes, Nitu started from a far but soon ditched the strategy and reverted to playing from a close range, as Altansetseg was also given a point deduction for clinching.
Nitu has been in indomitable form in the tournament, winning her first three bouts by RSC (referee stops contest).
Against Alua Balkibekova, who knocked her out in the last edition in the quarterfinal stage, she skilfully adapted to negate the Kazakh's strong suit.
The two join an elite list which includes six-time champion Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006), Lekha KC (2006) and Nikhat Zareen (2022).
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Bengaluru: First-time Congress MLAs with merit can be made ministers, says Moily
Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister Marpadi Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said that first-time Congress legislators could be considered for ministerial berths during the proposed Cabinet reshuffle if they have the requisite merit.
Moily responded to reports of over 30 first-time Congress MLAs seeking Cabinet positions by stressing the need for a Cabinet with a balance of merit among first-time, young, and senior leaders.
“We entered politics when the Chief Minister Devaraj Urs recognised us in 1972. If legislators have merit and dedication, they can be included in the Cabinet,” Deccan Herald quoted him as saying.
He said that there is nothing wrong with new MLAs aspiring for ministerial posts and that no one has the moral authority to question such aspirations. He recalled that he, too, was a newcomer in his early political days and said those with eligibility should be given ministerial posts.
“If the MLAs have merit, the Chief Minister will recognise them. In our time, we did not lobby for ministerial berths. We were recognised by the Chief Minister,” he said.
Addressing demands for a change in Chief Minister and current talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, Moily said that legislators voicing aspirations should not be seen as engaging in groupism.
He also said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to visit Karkala in Udupi district on Wednesday.
