‘What else do I need in life when I am living my dream?’
SAYS THE CHAMPION BOXER WHO HAS SET HER SIGHTS ON AN OLYMPIC MEDAL AND IS PLEASED THAT SHE’S INSPIRING MORE FEMALE ATHLETES TO TAKE UP THE SPORT
NIKHAT BELIEVES THAT THE TAG ‘WORLD CHAMPION’ IS A VALIDATION OF HER CONSTANT HARD WORK AND RELENTLESS PRACTICE. FOR HER, IT IS PROOF THAT IF ONE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING AND WORKS HARD TO ACHIEVE IT, THE RESULTS WILL BE INCREDIBLE. BUT SHE’S CONSCIOUS THAT THIS IS JUST THE START, AND SHE NEEDS TO PUSH HERSELF TO GO FURTHER.
NO VICTORY IS COMPLETE WITHOUT MY IDOL’S (MARY KOM’S) BLESSINGS. SHE IS AN INSPIRATION NOT ONLY TO ME BUT TO SCORES OF PEOPLE. I DECIDED TO MOVE ON FROM TOKYO AND FOCUS ON THE UPCOMING PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES. MY ONLY FOCUS SINCE THEN HAS BEEN TO WORK EVEN HARDER AND COME BACK STRONG. AND I BELIEVE EVERYTHING HAPPENS
FOR A REASON”
Last month, when Hyderabad’s Nikhat Zareen made history by winning the gold medal in the flyweight (52kg) category of the Women’s World Championship 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey, it was a Red-Letter Day for India. She was only the fifth Indian woman to win the title, and the first after Mary Kom to do so outside the country. What does it feel like, being called ‘World Champion,’ we ask. “I feel glad and honoured. The kind of support and love I have been getting is fantastic,” she says, adding that she wants to keep up the good work and thrive on excellence.
Nikhat believes that the tag ‘World Champion’ is a validation of her constant hard work and relentless practice. For her, it is proof that if one is passionate about something and works hard to achieve it, the results will be incredible. But she’s conscious that this is just the start, and she needs to push herself to go further.
TIFF WITH MARY KOM IS BEHIND HER
Nikhat has had a difficult relationship with the legendary Indian boxer Mary Kom. Back in 2019, she had alleged that the selection process was biased, after Mary Kom was picked for the Olympics qualifiers without trials. Nikhat believed it was her right to compete in the trials for the Olympics qualifier. She eventually lost to Mary Kom. And the latter skipped the traditional post-match hug.
But all that’s history now. Mary Kom was among those who congratulated Nikhat on her win and the two even met in Delhi.
“No victory is complete without my idol’s blessings,” Nikhat smiles and adds that Mary is an inspiration not only to her but to scores of people.
“I decided to move on from Tokyo and focus on the
upcoming Paris Olympic Games. My only focus since then has been to work even harder and come back strong. And I believe everything happens for a good reason,” says Nikhat.
BESTING THE BOYS
There wasn’t a single day without Nikhat getting into trouble in her childhood. Unable to bear her mischief, Nikhat’s father Jameel, himself an athlete, took her to the Secretariat grounds in Nizamabad hoping she would burn off her energy running around the field.
“I even won 100m and 200m gold at the district level. But one day I saw a group of boys shadow boxing. When I asked my father why girls were not there, he replied that very few girls had the guts to take up boxing. That was it! Instantly, I wanted to prove to everyone that women can also be boxers — and that’s how I took up boxing,” she recalls.
She won a sub-junior national at 14. And the very next year, she won the Youth World Championship (incidentally also in Turkey). She went on to make further inroads in the national and international reckoning.
CHALLENGING JOURNEY
But her route to success wasn’t without obstacles and pain. Not everyone in the neighbourhood or even in the extended family was supportive, including her mother, initially.
They said it would spoil her marriage prospects. Some did not approve of her wearing boxing shorts. She remembers some people telling her father that since she’s a girl, and that too, from a minority community, she wasn’t meant to play combat sports like boxing.
“But my father never let me worry about these things. Being a sportsperson himself, he knew what it takes to be a champion, and he backed me to the core,” recalls Nikhat. He did not heed the Nay-sayers, and asked her to focus on boxing and her dream. She says “I never focused on what my detractors said; my focus was only work. My father told me, ‘all those who are criticising you now will come and click photos with you later.’ That’s what is happening now. They all are coming to celebrate my win,” she beams.
Being mentally strong is a virtue which has helped her win inside the boxing ring and outside it too. “I always believed in myself. The struggles I faced made me stronger. And throughout my journey, my parents’ support has been unflinching,” she asserts.
“I am happy to be a changemaker and inspire others. My parents and I have been getting calls from many people asking where they should admit their wards for coaching in boxing. I am so touched that several female athletes are taking to the sport,” she says.
CAREER-THREATENING INJURY
Game wise too, Nikhat had hurdles to overcome. A career-threatening injury happened in 2017. She dislocated her shoulder, and had to go under surgery, and consequently, didn’t take part in any competition for a year. Life during recuperating was tough, she admits. “I like competing and I missed being in the ring. Many even said that my career was over because boxing is all about the shoulder and I wouldn’t be able to stage a comeback after surgery,” she recalls.
But she believed in herself, and didn’t give up. She started a rehabilitation programme and kept working hard on her fitness and game. She became even more disciplined. And after her comeback in 2019 she hasn’t looked back.
“What else do I need in life when I am living my dream?” she comments.
OLYMPIC DREAM
Nikhat isn’t content with winning the World Champion title. Her dream is to win an Olympic medal for the country.
“But before that I have the Commonwealth Games (CWG), and I have started prepping for that,” she reveals.
Is there any pressure to perform?
“There are expectations but I want to take them as positive signs and work harder,” she replies.
Would she want to coach aspiring boxers after she retires? Does she plan to set up her own academy?
“It’s premature to comment! Right now my focus is on winning the CWG,” she says.
“Boxing not only taught me to fight in the ring, it also taught me how to fight in life, and that’s why I love it,” she shares.
THE OTHER SIDE OF NIKHAT
HER ROUTE TO SUCCESS WASN’T WITHOUT OBSTACLES. NOT EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OR EVEN IN THE EXTENDED FAMILY WAS SUPPORTIVE, INCLUDING HER MOTHER, INITIALLY. THEY SAID IT WOULD SPOIL HER MARRIAGE PROSPECTS. SOME DID NOT APPROVE OF HER WEARING SHORTS
ONE DAY I SAW A GROUP OF BOYS SHADOW BOXING. WHEN I ASKED MY FATHER WHY GIRLS WERE NOT THERE, HE REPLIED THAT VERY FEW GIRLS HAD THE GUTS TO TAKE UP BOXING. THAT WAS IT! INSTANTLY, I WANTED TO PROVE TO EVERYONE THAT WOMEN CAN ALSO BE BOXERS — AND THAT’S HOW I TOOK UP BOXING — NIKHAT ZAREEN
Nikhat is also a foodie — her favourites are tahari and biryani. “I also relish bhaji with a bit of imli (tamarind) in it,’ she says, adding that she likes her mother’s khatti daal as well. But she has had to give up on many of her favourite foods to maintain a strict diet.
Her Instagram account reveals that she likes to chill and go out with friends. “Yeah, I hang out with close friends,” she says, calling her friends ‘stress busters.’
Nikhat is a huge fan of actor Salman Khan. She loves emulating his style and is hoping that she will be able to meet him someday.