Who is Nikhat Zareen? Once upon a time Mary Kom had taunted, today her daughter’s feat is resonating all over the world
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What did Nikhat say after becoming the champion?
After winning the 50 kg title, Nikhat said, ‘I am happy to become world champion for the second time, that too in Olympic weight category and in front of home crowd. This medal is for all supporters. It was an emotional second title for Nikhat as the 26-year-old boxer faced taunts, social prejudice and neglect along the way.
Mary Kom would not have thought that Nikhat will create history
As for Mary Kom, she would not have expected that in four years, Nikhat would follow in her footsteps and become only the second Indian after her to win more than one World Championship title. Nikhat’s father wanted her to be a runner but his daughter decided to take up boxing to prove that women can do well in the sport.
Daughter, parents had to bear taunts
Coming from a Muslim family in Telangana’s Nizamabad, Nikhat and her parents faced taunts and comments for playing boxing dressed in a ‘t-shirt and shorts’. But he did not pay attention to them. After winning the Junior World Championship title a decade ago, Nikhat dislocated her shoulder during a bout, keeping her out of the ring for almost a year. But she fought hard to prove herself at the elite level and made a spectacular comeback.
Got defeated by my com
He won the gold medal at the Strandja Memorial in 2019 and the silver medal at the Thailand Open. But in the India Open, she could not defeat Mary Kom, the greatest boxer in the history of women’s boxing. The Boxing Federation of India, which refused to hold trials ahead of the 2019 World Championships, chose Mary Kom because of her consistent performances and the boxer from Manipur also won her eighth World Championships medal.
Bout again and defeat again, but did not lose spirit
When the BFI decided to send Mary Kom for the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers because of her World Championship bronze medal performance, Nikhat urged the then Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to conduct a ‘fair trial’. Accepting Nikhat’s request, the trial was announced but the young boxer lost to the more experienced Mary Kom in a one-sided match. But even this incident could not dampen Nikhat’s spirit and the boxer took full advantage of the opportunities that came his way to reach here.
Haven’t lost a single fight since October 2021
After Nikhat’s initial victory, people predicted her to be Mary Kom’s successor and it seems to be getting stronger with the recent victory. He has been in excellent form since October 2021. He has not lost a bout since then, winning two national championship titles, the 2022 Strandja Memorial, the 2022 World Championships, all the selection trials and the Commonwealth Games. Last year in Istanbul, he won India a gold medal after four years at the World Championships.
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