Fresh from her double -- winning the gold in the 52 kg and also adjudged the 'best boxer' -- in the recent Women’s boxing nationals in Hisar (Haryana), Nikhat Zareen is now gunning for her maiden medal in the World Championship later this year.
Nikhat, 25, who got a direct entry into the Indian team by virtue of her gold on Wednesday for the Worlds, said she could not have asked for a better National by any means.
“Definitely, the result was the culmination of about four months of intensive training under the English coach John Warburton in JSW’s Inspire Institute of Sport (Bellary), sponsored by Welspun and supported by my employers Bank of India who gave me special leave for training,” a visibly pleased Nikhat told Sportstar .
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“I must say John Paul made a lot of difference in training. He made work really hard to punch hard and straight, from different angles and not allowing the opponents to come inside the ring. That is the reason why I won all the bouts with unanimous verdicts,” she added.
The World Championships are scheduled in December and Nikhat is raring to go. “With the Worlds scheduled in December this year and which will be my second having lost in the quarters in the 2016 edition (then in 54 kg), I am really determined to keep improving each day. With the national camp likely to start soon, I have to stay focussed,” she said.
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“This gold in the Elite Nationals also means bigger responsibility. I don’t know what category the great Mary Kom would be fighting in the days to come. But, I am more concerned about my own journey to scale the summit,” Nikhat continued.
She added, “Yes, I dedicate this gold in what was my second major event of the year (after the Istanbul international meet when she won a bronze) to my parents, family members and well-wishers besides the untiring support staff and hope to keep doing well.”
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