India's best woman boxer 25-year-old Nikhat Zareen struck gold in the prestigious 73rd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament, Europe's oldest boxing tournament at Sofia, Bulgaria by out boxing Ukraine's Tetiana Kob, a three-time European Championship medallist by a split 4-1 decision in the 52-kg weight category.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Nikhat out punched Turkey's Buse Naz Cakioglu by a similar 4-1 verdict. For Nikhat, Strandja has been a happy hunting ground as she had won the gold in 2019 here. It may be recalled that for the flyweight boxing trials leading to the Tokyo Olympics, Nikhat had been denied victory over MC Mary Kom in a bout that Nikhat dominated with an aggressive display of boxing skills.
Meanwhile, Nitu beat Italy's Erika Prisciandaro by an unanimous 5-0 decision in the 48-kg light flyweight division to give India its second gold in the tournament.
Nitu in the semi-finals had outclassed her Ukrainian rival Hanna Okhota. Nandini rounded off India's tally to 3 medals having won a bronze medal in the +81-kg weight category. This tournament is an important build up for the world championships. Both Nikhat Zareen and Nitu are India's brightest prospects in women's boxing.
