Injury behind her, Nikhat Zareen eyes third World Championship title

Having made it to the Indian team for the World Boxing Championships, Nikhat Zareen believes that she heads to Liverpool, England, with a renewed sense of belief in her ability to bag yet another medal on the global stage.

“I’m looking forward to being back on the international scene after a long time. Everyone wants me to perform well there, win a medal and make the country proud, but, obviously, more than them, I want to bring back that old Nikhat who used to win medals at the World Championship. I want to bring back that old Nikhat who has that hunger to win medals at the Worlds,” she told  Sportstar.

Nikhat will compete in her preferred 51kg category at the inaugural edition of the event, which is being conducted by World Boxing, the newly formed international governing body for the sport. 

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The 28-year-old returns to the Indian national setup for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics after impressing at the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament held here earlier this month. She, however, pulled out of the final citing injury.

Self-belief

A two-time gold medallist at the World Championships (Istanbul 2022 and New Delhi 2023), Nikhat reiterated that she is capable of putting bad form behind her and bringing glory to India once again.

“Sometimes it [defeat] happens. It was not in my destiny, maybe. I don’t want to underestimate myself or say that I’m not good enough to win an Olympic medal. I will keep pushing myself no matter what.

FILE PHOTO – Zareen Nikhat of Team India makes her way to the ring prior to her Women’s 50kg preliminary round match against Yu Wu of Team China on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France.
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“Not everyone can win a world championship gold medal, not just once, but twice. I’m still that Nikhat who has the hunger to achieve and make the country proud. I’m happy that I’m finally back in the national team, the focus is now on just winning the medal,” she added.

Injury comeback

Nikhat dealt with a meniscus injury recently, which required a few months of rehab. While admitting that her recovery wasn’t easy, she said that she focused on the larger goals to ensure she made a successful and quick comeback.

“The recovery wasn’t easy, but I always kept myself strong, both physically and mentally. Whenever I felt like it [the comeback] is not going to happen or that it was becoming tougher every day, I always reminded myself about why I started on this path. This is not the end,” she stated.

With the LA Olympics less than three years away, Nikhat emphasized that the disappointment in Paris has perhaps spurred her on further in her pursuit of her sport’s biggest prize. “My ultimate dream is to win an Olympic medal. I’m not gonna give up so easily.”