A look into the life of popular Indian boxer, Nikhat Zareen, who is from Telangana's Nizamabad. Here's everything you need to know about the Arjuna awardee, who is nothing less than a model.
Paris 2024 Olympics featured a series of debutants from different countries in every contingent. Just like every country, India also sent a series of young athletes to Paris to make their debut at the 2024 Olympics. Some of the debutants include Kishore Jena, Jyothi Yarraji, Parul Chaudhary, and many more. However, out of all the debutants, ace boxer, Nikhat Zareen is the one, who has turned heads at Paris 2024 Olympics.
On July 24, 2024, Nikhat Zareen took to her Instagram handle and posted a series of pictures from Paris as she announced her entry to the 2024 Olympics. The 28-year-old boxer looked quite excited as she was eagerly waiting to make her debut at the biggest sporting event in the world. Along with the pictures, Nikhat penned an inspiring note in the caption, in which she told her fans and followers that she would try her best to make it 'unforgettable'. She penned:
"Bonjour Paris! I've dreamt of this moment. Now that I'm here, let's make it unforgettable and win some hearts."
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For the uninitiated, back in 2019, Nikhat Zareen fought against legendary Indian boxer, Mary Kom for a place in the then-upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Nikhat lost the bout 9-1 to Mary Kom, ending her dream of representing India at the Olympics. However, she worked on herself and is now representing India at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In the round of 32 bout, Nikhat faced Germany's Maxi Carina Kloetzer in the Women's 50 kg match by a unanimous decision.
Nikhat Zareen will now face the Republic of China's Wu Yu, who is the reigning world champion in the 52 kg category in the round of 16. If she prevails against the Chinese boxer, Nikhat will be facing either Thailand's Chuthamat Raksat or Uzbekistan's Sabina Bobokulova in the quarters.
Nikhat Zareen was born on June 14, 1996, in Telangana's Nizamabad to her parents, Mohammad Jameel Ahmed and Parveen Sultana. She completed her primary education at Nizamabad's Nirmala Hrudaya Girls High School. After completing her schooling, she took admission to Hyderabad's AV College, from where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Right from an early age, Nikhat Zareen's father, Mohammad Jameel Ahmed encouraged her and his other kids to make sports a part of their lives. Initially, the doting father chose athletics for Nikhat, but as she grew up, she became interested in boxing. As per a report on Olympics.com, Nikhat decided to play boxing when she saw there were no girls in it. The youngster wanted to prove that girls and boys are equal. Her father also encouraged her and pushed her to make her mark.
At the age of 12, when Nikhat Zareen took part in her first-ever boxing session, she suffered a black eye and a bloody nose. It was a terrible start to her journey as a boxer, and even her mother started crying when she saw her daughter like that.
However, despite being severely injured, Nikhat said, "How did she beat me up so badly? I will return the favour the next time," which was the real beginning of her journey as a boxer. Her resilience and come-back-stronger attitude took her to places as she won a series of titles in the following years.
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Nikhat Zareen is a two-time world champion. She also won a gold medal at the 2011 AIBA Women's Youth and Junior World Boxing Championship. She clinched a gold medal at the IBA World Boxing Championship in 2022 Istanbul and 2023 New Delhi. In addition, Nikhat won a gold medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal in the Light flyweight event at the 2022 Asian Games.
Courtesy of her exceptional achievements, Nikhat Zareen was appointed as the official brand ambassador of her hometown, Nizamabad. Nikhat also won the Arjuna Award back in 2022 and was also appointed as the staff officer at the Bank of India in 2021.
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Apart from being one of India's best boxers, Nikhat Zareen is also quite popular on social media. She has 299K followers on her Instagram handle and is one of the most followed professional boxers in India. Besides sharing pictures from her boxing matches and sports photoshoots, Nikhat is also renowned for leaving her followers in awe of her fashion quotient. From traditional attire to Western outfits, Nikhat slays in almost everything that she wears.
Not only this, Nikhat Zareen is also in contact with a series of Bollywood celebrities and famous personalities, which adds to her ever-growing popularity on social media. Due to her professional achievements and strong presence on social media, she was signed by Adidas back in 2018, which was a massive moment for the Indian boxer. Nikhat is tipped by many as the heir of India's greatest women boxer, Mary Kom, and it will be interesting to see whether she will become her idol's heir or surpass her.
We hope Nikhat Zareen continues to make India proud with her boxing in the upcoming tournaments.
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