It has been an incredible journey for boxer Nikhat Zareen. Who captured the summit by winning gold in the World Women’s Championship Thursday in Istanbul.
Nikhat has another success story in Indian sport where a normal middle class girl has overcome obstacles to carve a niche for herself.
The 25-year-old has always spoken about the support he received from his father, Mohammad Jameel Ahmed, who worked as a sales executive in the Gulf before moving back home, and mother Parveen Sultana. Being the third of four sisters, it was even more challenging for Nikhat to explore new frontiers.
The defining moment of his career was when Shamsuddin, a coach from Nizamabad (Telangana), felt that Nikhat should take up the game not only because of his guts and patience, but also for the fact that he had a better chance of making it . Big in women’s boxing.
Nikhat started boxing at the age of 13 and within six months won the state championship gold medal at Karimnagar in 2010. He was selected for the rural citizens in Punjab and made a huge impact with another golden performance.
Within three months, Nikhat was adjudged the ‘Best Boxer’ at the Sub-Junior Nationals in Erode (Tamil Nadu), where his gold-winning spree continued.
Soon, Nikhat Dronacharya joined the Sports Authority of India camp in Visakhapatnam under the tutelage of I Venkateswara Rao. She went on to top the 2011 World Junior and Youth Championships in Antalya, Turkey.
Jameel recalled the challenges his daughter faced, including a feud with Mary Kom regarding the qualification process for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, or a shoulder injury in 2018, which kept her out of action for almost a year. He reveals that Nikhat never thought of giving up.
“This victory is dedicated to the millions of Indians who supported him during his journey,” Jameel said.
“We are grateful to all the coaches, SAI, Union Sports Ministry, Telangana State Government for helping Nikhat realize his dream,” he said.
Mother Parveen Sultana, who watched the final at home with her daughters, was also very happy.
“This is the day we have been waiting for a long time. This is the biggest moment for our entire family and we are glad that Nikhat brought laurels to the nation.