— Boria Majumdar
Two Hours and thirty minutes between 6pm and 830pm and India had four world championship finalists in that period. Each bout a story in itself. If Nitu had to scarp hard and the fight was more of a street brawl, Nikhat was in her element and dominated the bout against the Colombian. Lovlina had to understand her Chinese opponent and was stretched while Saweety had to dig deep in the final round to come out triumphant.
With the finals on 25-26th, a sizeable crowd support is expected for the four who will now attempt to ensure that the national anthem is played in their honour in the national capital.
What was interesting to see in each of these bouts is the resilience. Nitu for example was challenged. She had won the first three bouts easily with none going beyond the second round. But in the semi-finals, all of a sudden, she lost the first round 2-3. That’s when you need to be at your best. Go deeper. Find resolve. Think how you can make a comeback. Yes there is the support from your corner with Bhaskar Bhatt and the Irish High Performance Director giving you the much needed advice. But then in the ring its you and you alone. Self belief is the key and we saw it in abundance from Nitu Ghangas. She came back well to push the bout into an evaluation and eventually came out triumphant.
Nikhat on the other hand was on song from the first round itself. In fact, it was her best fight of the competition. She was stretched in the quarter final but had come prepared in the semi-finals to not leave anything to chance. Lighting fast on her feet, in out punches, she was every bit the world champion we know her to be. And in the final against the Vietnamese opponent, few would want to bet against Nikhat once she has found rhythm.
Lovlina, on the other hand, needs this title to get back the mojo she had shown in Tokyo. Moving up weight categories isn’t easy and her new weight means she needed that much more power. May I say that in the semi-finals she was up against an opponent who was skilled and ready. Lovlina needed to stay in the fight and seek her opportunity. The final punch that she landed, which floored her opponent literally at the very end of the third and final round, could well have been the decisive blow. Her corner was elated with just seconds left and the reaction was proof she had completed the job.
Finally it was Saweety. Yet again, the bout was intense. Both boxers pushed and struggled and even floored each other. It was the perfect street fight. Each time she fell on the floor, you could see Saweety enjoying the getting up. Deepak, her husband and a star in his own right, must have enjoyed it as well. Saweety knew she had control and pushing her down won’t be of any purpose for her opponent. And by the third and final round the decision was almost inevitable. In fact, I for one thought it was deemed closer than expected and Saweety could well have won a unanimous verdict.
Now to the day of their lives. The final hurdle. Winning the world title in front of home fans is always special and it will build hope for the Paris Games. Imagine Nitu v Nikhat for a place in Paris in the 50kgs. Indian women’s boxing is now a very special story.