In the recently held World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Nikhat Zareen has won the gold medal for the country in the 52 kg weight category after 4 years. Earlier in 2018, MC Mary Kom became the champion. Nikhat is the 5th Indian boxer to win gold. Nikhat has talked to Dainik Bhaskar about his journey so far after winning the medal. Nikhat says that people and relatives who used to question his playing wearing short clothes. He is waiting to reach Hyderabad after winning the medal today and wants to have a photo clicked with me. Also Nikhat is a little disappointed that he is not being respected like the cricketers. She says that I will not blame cricket, but I will blame people that they do not give the same respect to our game as they do to cricket. Question- Congratulations Nikhat to Gold, what next? 2024 Olympics or something else in mind?
Answer- Thank you. Now my next target is to win a medal for the country in the Commonwealth Games. I will prepare for that. After that my target is to win gold medal for the country in Paris Olympics also.
Question- Your father had said that relatives objected to you playing wearing shorts. Did the mother also have such concerns? Missing something or an incident?
Answer- My mother had a problem with the fact that boxing is such a game, where there is a beating. He was afraid that if I get hurt, who will marry me. I had explained to my mother that once I got my name, there would be a line of grooms. You don’t worry about that. People said that boxing is a game where shorts have to be worn. It is not considered good in Islam. Relatives used to say that you will play wearing short clothes. Think a little about our society, but my father did not pay heed to him. He said that you focus on your game, these people will come tomorrow to snap photos. After that I did not pay attention to any other question- After winning the gold in the World Championship, I got a call to congratulate the relatives and people who had an objection to playing in your short clothes?
Answer- I did not get the call of those relatives, but the family members got their call and they congratulated them. Now he tells my family members that if Nikhat comes to Hyderabad, tell me. We will meet him and get photographed with him. They are just waiting for me now. Question- If you live in a cricketing nation, are you in love with cricket or jealous? And yes… do you have any hero in cricket?
Answer- Yes my favorite cricketer is MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. I am a big fan of them. I also know two-three people in cricket personally. I am not jealous of cricket. Cricket is also a game. I will not blame cricket. I will blame people that people love cricket more, not us. Our job is to win medals and generate more interest in our sports. So that they support us as much as they do cricket.
Question- This is the same weight category in which Mary Kom has been world champion 6 times. What do you consider Mary Kom… Inspiration or competitor?
Answer- Yes, I got into boxing after seeing him since childhood. I follow them Got to learn a lot from him.Question- Did he (Mary Kom) call you after the victory to congratulate? Yes, he did not call but definitely congratulated me on social media.
Question- Father used to play football and cricket, mother was expert in kabaddi and sister shuttler, so why did you all choose sports? Answer- I was fond of sports since childhood. Annual day was about to come in my school. Then I participated in athletics and won. For two years I did athletics. My father used to do exercises. In 2009, I decided to get into boxing. Since then I have been doing boxing. Question- Boxing demands a lot of discipline and hard work. So did you leave Hyderabadi Biryani or is it still going on secretly? Answer- Not laughing- No, not at all. I am walking the same way. Biryani of Hyderabad I will be able to eat only after coming to Hyderabad. I am on diet. If you want to gain something, you have to lose something. If medals were to be won, then all this had to be sacrificing. Once I win a medal, I can eat only biryani. Question- You are from Hyderabad, from here great players like Sania, Saina, Sindhu have made a name in the world, is it to do each other good? Can you push? Answer- Yes, of course, if someone from your state is representing the country at the international level and winning medals, then somewhere it inspires and motivates you. Saina won bronze medal in Olympics then Sindhu won medal then all those things motivated me and only then I thought that I also have to win Olympic medal for the country. Question- Has the current situation of women’s sports in my country been better than before? Especially when you look at traveling in other countries, in terms of that? Ans. Yes, women athletes are coming forward in Indian sports. As you see, be it the Rio Olympics or Tokyo, most of the girls had medals in their names. Mirabai Chanu, Lovleena did an amazing job. When girls are winning back to back medals, then somewhere they also motivate you that we girls are also strong and we can also bring light to the name of the country. Had to leave till the Commonwealth, Asian Games and Olympics. What did it take to get here from there?
Answer- I had shoulder injury in 2017. Because of which I had to stay out of boxing in 2017. I felt very sad. I never thought that I would have such a big injury and I would have to stay out of boxing. Still, I kept myself positive. She used to focus on one thing that whatever happens, happens for good. I just wanted to make a comeback as soon as possible. I did not want to lose my chance to represent the country and win a medal for the country. With that in mind, I worked hard.
question-. In Istanbul, you won 5-0 one-sided in every match from the first round to the final. What did you do for it?
Answer: A lot of hard work has been done for this. At that level, a lot of preparation was done accordingly. Worked on fitness level. So that going there does not get tired and it was that no matter how strong the opposition player is, he has to give his hundred percent. My strategy was to dominate all rounds and win with full points.
Question- It is almost 2 years in the Olympics. What special preparation?
Answer- You can now play for 40 years in boxing in the Olympics. Mary Kom will turn 40 next year. Will not be eligible for Paris Olympics. I have step by step focus on every competition. Right now my focus was on the World Championship. Now my focus is on Commonwealth Games. I will prepare for that, so that I can win medals for the country there too.
Question- You said about Salman Khan, that he is not a brother, but my life. He too focused after your victory on social media. Is he your favorite hero?
Answer- Yes, he is my favorite hero. I have liked them since childhood. My dream is to meet him. I don’t know when I will meet but I will try to meet as soon as possible. I would be very happy if I meet him after winning the Olympic medal.
