Nupur assures India of first medal at World Boxing Championships
Liverpool (PTI): Heavyweight boxer Nupur Sheoran secured India's first medal at the World Boxing Championships, while two-time champion Nikhat Zareen bowed out in the quarterfinals here on Wednesday.
Granddaughter of legendary boxer Hawa Singh, 26-year-old Nupur overcame a scrappy contest to beat Oltinoy Sotimboeva of Uzbekistan 4-1 in the +80kg event, which is a non-Olympic weight category and features just 10 boxers in the ongoing competition.
But India's hopes of a marquee medal through Nikhat ended as the 29-year-old went down 0-5 to two-time Olympic silver medallist Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkiye in the 51kg quarterfinals.
The bout was always expected to be a stiff challenge for Nikhat, who is returning from injury. Having sparred before the Paris Olympics, both the boxers were familiar with each other's style.
While Nikhat briefly landed a flurry of hooks, Cakiroglu controlled most of the contest with clean punches.
Nikhat rushed to claim the centre of the ring, but Cakiroglu confidently back pedalled striking the Indian rather easily.
There was a passage of play where Nikhat claimed the upper hand, as she hit a flurry of hooks. But the Turkish boxer, who had a point docked soon regained momentum, landing sharp shots to claim her fourth World Championships medal.
Nupur, who entered the competition directly in the quarterfinals owing to her gold medal finish at the World Cup in Kazakhstan, started brightly, landing a sharp combination early on.
The Uzbek responded with a straight jab, but frequent clinching disrupted the flow. Cleaner punching helped the Indian take the opening round on four of the five cards.
Sotimboeva, 20, refused to bow down in the second round, keeping the exchanges messy yet managing to sway two judges despite Nupur finishing the round with a flurry of shots.
Sotimboeva was docked a point for excessive holding in the final round while Nupur had a point deducted for using her head soon after, cancelling the advantage.
Though the closing stages saw more swinging than scoring, Nupur's ability to land cleaner punches proved decisive as she booked her spot in the semifinals, where she will meet Turkiye's Seyma Duztas.
On Tuesday night, Jadumani Singh (48kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) had progressed to the men's quarterfinals with comprehensive wins, while Jugnoo Ahlawat’s (85kg) campaign ended in the opening round against Scotland’s Robert McNulty.
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Rahul Gandhi to go on two-day Raebareli visit from May 19
Raebareli (UP) (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Raebareli Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on May 19 on a two-day visit, a Congress office-bearer said on Monday.
Congress district president of Raebareli Pankaj Tiwari said that on the first day, Gandhi will inaugurate a marriage hall at Thakurain Kheda in Bachhrawan. Subsequently, he will address a public meeting in Khiron. In Lalganj, he will participate in a 'mahila samvaad' programme.
He further said that on May 20, he will meet the public during a 'Janata Darshan' programme at the Bhuyemau Guest House. Following this, he will participate in the unveiling of a statue of Veera Pasi and attend a public meeting in Lodhwari.
He will then depart for Amethi.
In Amethi, Gandhi will hold meetings with party functionaries, workers and senior leaders at the party's district headquarters, Congress district unit chief Pradeep Singhal said on Sunday.
According to political observers, this meeting would form a part of the strategic preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, alongside an organisational review.
Discussions during the meeting are likely to focus on strengthening the party organisation down to the booth level, increasing participation of youth and women workers, and accelerating public outreach campaigns across villages.
According to sources, a large number of party workers -- from Gram Sabha to the district level -- have been invited to attend the meeting.
Gandhi is expected to interact directly with workers.
During the one-day visit, the Congress leader will also travel to Poore Ramdeen Pandit -- the native village of late Congress district president Yogendra Mishra -- to meet his family members.
Mishra, considered a close associate of the Gandhi family, passed away on March 1 following a prolonged illness.
Political activities in the district have intensified ahead of Gandhi's visit, and party workers have already started making arrangements for his reception.
Kishori Lal Sharma, the Congress MP from Amethi, is also holding regular meetings with local leaders and functionaries to review the preparations.
