Nguyen Thi Tam finished second at the 2023 World Women's Boxing Championship

Nguyen Thi Tam made history for Vietnamese boxing despite not winning the world final. Photo: FBNV

The Vietnamese boxer could not create any surprise against his highly rated and experienced opponent.

Although she proactively chose to attack first to cause surprise, Nguyen Thi Tam could not create an advantage. On the contrary, Nikhat Zareen's signature right-handed punches made the Vietnamese fighter struggle.

In the first round, Nguyen Thi Tam also received a yellow card after pushing her opponent twice. At the end of this round, the girl born in 1994 only received five 9 points from the referees from Japan, Australia, Egypt, Peru and Venezuela.

After that, Nguyen Thi Tam continued to play confidently, improving the accuracy of her attacks, thereby receiving three 10s in the second half. On the contrary, it was Nikhat Zareen's turn to make a mistake, receiving a yellow card for a neck grab.

However, in the crucial third round, reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen showed her mettle to maintain her superior score and win the match. Nguyen Thi Tam could not break away in the final stretch after losing the score after a not-so-favorable start.

This result helped boxer Nikhat Zareen successfully defend his championship title, receive a gold medal and a prize of 100,000 USD. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese athlete won the runner-up position and the prize of 50,000 USD (about 1.2 billion VND).

However, finishing second is still considered a success for Nguyen Thi Tam. The girl born in 1994 made history by becoming the first Vietnamese boxer to reach the finals of a world boxing tournament.

This achievement will be a good stepping stone for Nguyen Thi Tam to defend the gold medal at SEA Games 32, the silver medal at ASIAD 19 and a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

According to Vietnam+