India’s Nitu Ghanghas clinches maiden gold in 48kg category in IBA Women’s Boxing World Championship 2023

India’s Nitu Ghanghas clinched her maiden gold medal win in the 48kg category in the ongoing IBA Women’s Boxing World Championship 2023 in New Delhi on Saturday. Nitu defeated Mongolia’s Lutsaikhan Altansetseg 5-0 via a unanimous decision. This medal win is India’s first gold medal in the ongoing tournament. Later in the day, three-time Asian medallist Saweety Boora will fight China’s Wang Lina in the 81kg final.

Playing her first final, Nitu went in with an attacking approach that kept her noise ahead in the bout in the first round. Despite a couple of blows from her opponent in the following round, Nitu managed to stay alive in the gold medal contest. However, come the third round, she remained in control of her game and did not let Altansetseg worry her too much.

Though both received yellow cards as the bout approached the end, Nitu landed two punches in the final 30 seconds to pick up the win.

Meanwhile, this win also makes Nitu the sixth Indian pugilist after Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006), Lekha KC (2006), and Nikhat Zareen (2022) to win a world title.

Earlier, Nitu began her tournament with a win over Korea’s Kang Doyeon in the first round. Then, the 22-year-old beat Tajikistan’s Qosimova Sumaiya in the second round to cruise further. Next, in the quarters, she faced Japan’s Wada Madoka, whom she defeated without much hassle; however, Nitu’s biggest win came in the semis, where Nitu defeated Kazakhstan’s Alua Belkibekova 5-2 - a win she considers to be a game-changer for her heading into the finale.

Ahead of Saturday’s final, Nitu had said, “Winning against Kazakhstan (yesterday) was the most pressurising since I lost the last time (in the World Championships quarter-finals), and after winning, I do feel confident. I can see a lot of improvement in my game as earlier I used to play just a single kind of game, but now I know how to seamlessly change my techniques according to my opponent, and I am sure I’ll continue to play like this going further. I haven’t seen the bouts of my opponent for the finals, but I will see her bouts, and I will prepare accordingly. As far the aggression is concerned it will depend on the fight.”

Besides Nitu and Saweety Boora, reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen and the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain will also be in action on Sunday.