India's Nikhat Zareen (52kg) breezed into the Women's World Boxing Championships final with a dominating win while Manisha Moun (57kg) signed off with a bronze medal in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Nikhat made short work of Brazil's Caroline De Almeida to notch a dominant 5-0 win. Manisha, on the other hand, lost to Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Irma Testa of Italy by an identical margin.
Zareen, who is a former junior world champion, stayed calm and completely dominated her rival for a 5-0 win by unanimous decision in the last-four bout of the 52kg competition.
The 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist Manisha, competing in her second world championship, tried hard to outdo her technically superior opponent with her power punches but Testa defended superbly.
Six-time champion MC Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha C are the only Indian women boxers who have won the world title and now Hyderabad-based Zareen has the opportunity to join the elite list.
India's best performance in the event came in 2006 when the country snared eight medals, including four gold, one silver and three bronze.
In the last edition, four Indian boxers returned home with medals — Manju Rani clinched the silver, while Mary Kom bagged an unparalleled eighth world medal in the form of a bronze.
Parveen Hooda (63kg) will compete in her semifinal later in the day.
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