'GOLDEN LIONESSES' OF INDIA

India ended a brilliant campaign by finishing with the highest number of gold medals (four) and tops at first in the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships medal's tally. On Saturday, Nitu Ghanghas 22 and Saweety Boora 30, clinched gold medals in 48 kg and 81 kg category respectively.

- ANUBHAV RANJAN NEW DELHI

Just after becoming world champion, a teary-eyed Nitu became emotional and ran towards coach Bhaskar Bhatt as the celebrations began.

Just a day post Indian women's boxers grabbed two gold medals the nation marked another historic moment as star boxer Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain recorded stellar victories by contrasting margins in the finals at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex on Sunday. This was the second time India achieved such a remarkable feat.

There was a time, when India's newly crowned women's world champions, Nitu and Saweety had thought of quitting boxing due to different reasons. Nitu entered in the boxing arena in 2012, had faced a very bad time as she couldn't managed to rose up her ranks in state matches during junior days and the other reasons including pelvic injury in 2016.

If we talk about Saweety, she faced bad time during the selection trails for the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers by the national federation.

But, on both occasions, their families stood up by their side. Even, Nitu's father Jai Bhagwan left his government job at the Haryana secretariat and went on unpaid leave for three years to continue nursing a dream in Nitu that one day she will make her parents proud by competing in women's boxing championships and stood up on the first position on the podium.

While India's star boxer and 2022 gold medallist Nikhat Zarren defeated Nguyem Thi Tam of Vietnam to win gold for a second consecutive year at the tournament and also became the second Indian female boxer to have two more than one Worlds gold to her name after the legendary MC Mary Kom. Mary kom has claimed a record six gold in the competition. While the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain too claimed her maiden Worlds gold under 75kg category against Australia's Caitlin Parker after setting for brzone in the 2018 and 2019 edition. Lovlina added a fourth gold to India's tally at the Worlds.