India's Nikhat Zareen, the two-time world champion in the 50kg category, was eliminated from the Paris Olympics on Thursday with a defeat against the Asian Games gold medallist Wu Yu of China in the Round of 16.
Competing at her first Olympics, the unseeded Nikhat found it challenging to establish her rhythm against Yu, ultimately succumbing to a unanimous 5-0 decision.
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Yu, who currently holds the world championship title in the flyweight (52kg) division, had received a bye in the opening round.
Prior to her defeat, Nikhat was considered one of India's top contenders for a medal at the Games.
She opened her campaign with a win over Germany's Maxi Karina Kloetzer, but her journey came to an abrupt end at the hands of the formidable Chinese boxer.
Yu's agility and footwork proved to be the deciding factors in the match, as she effortlessly evaded Nikhat's counter-attacks from the very beginning in the first round. The Chinese boxer's ability to switch stances constantly made it difficult for Nikhat to land any significant blows.
In the second round, Nikhat managed to find some success, landing a few straight punches, but Yu responded with powerful hooks to the Indian's face. Nikhat attempted to fight back with some body shots as the round came to a close.
The final round saw little change in the dynamics of the bout, with Nikhat persistently trying to connect but failing to do so due to Yu's quick movements and evasive tactics.
