'Who Nikhat Zareen?': Telangana boxer who answered with a gold medal

On May 19, 2022, 25-year-old Nikhat Zareen etched her name in history to become only the fifth Indian boxer to win the gold medal in Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Telangana boxer on Thursday outpunched her Thai opponent to win via a unanimous verdict with judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in her favour.

Zareen brought home the gold medal four years after Mary Kom had won the last title in 2018.

For Zareen's father Mohammad Jameel, a former footballer and cricketer, her feat "will act as an inspiration to Muslim girls as well each girl in the country to aim to achieve bigger in life," the Indian Express quoted.

"A kid, whether he is boy or girl, has to make their own way and Nikhat has paved her own way," Jameel told the newspaper.

The flyweight world champion's feat came two years after Zareen had written to the-then sports minister Kiren Rijiju asking for a "fair trial" in the Olympic qualifiers.

Zareen was trolled on social media after Mary Kom had asked, "Who Nikhat Zareen?" She eventually missed her chance to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games after losing the bout to Mary Kom in the trials. She answered the question on Thursday with a gold medal and congratulatory messages have been pouring in since.
 

Hailing from Telangana's Nizamabad, Zareen first came to limelight in 2011 after she became World Junior boxing champion in 50 kg.

Zareen graduated to the senior level after she won her maiden senior national title in Haridwar where she defeated Manisha in the final match of the flyweight category. However, she was out of the national camp for a year after a shoulder injury in 2017 and missed all the big-ticket events like the Commonwealth Games, Asiad, and World Championships in 2018.

Talking to reporters about her injury on Thursday, Zareen said, " ...I didn't give up and after the comeback in 2019 haven't looked back. I have taken all competitions as an opportunity, and I believed in myself. Because of that here I'm today."

She returned to the ring in 2018, winning bronze in the senior national category and the Belgrade international title. The 25-year-old also won medals in the 2019 Asian Championships and Thailand Open.

After her grand bout, the gold medallist's focus is on the CWG and to keep her body free from injuries.