Mohammad Jameel, a former footballer and cricketer, sought after considered one of his 4 daughters to pick out up a recreation. The Nizamabad local picked athletics for his 3rd daughter Nikhat Zareen. A tender Nikhat emerged state champion in each the dash occasions, however took to the boxing ring at the recommendation of an uncle. At 14, she used to be topped the Global Formative years Boxing Champion and appeared destined to be a big drive.
However dwelling within the shadow of the mythical Mary Kom intended a affected person stay up for her time below the solar. A shoulder damage didn’t lend a hand and he or she neglected a complete 12 months in 2017. 5 years later the ache and frustration are far-off recollections as Nikhat changed into the flyweight (52 kg) global champion with a unanimous resolution win over Jitpong Jutamas of Thailand. Jameel appeared again with satisfaction.
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS ✍️ ?
⚔️@nikhat_zareen continues her golden streak (from Nationals 2021) & turns into the one 5️⃣th ??girl boxer to win?medal at Global Championships?
Smartly accomplished, global champion!??♂️?@AjaySingh_SG#ibawwchs2022#IstanbulBoxing#PunchMeinHaiDum#Boxing percent.twitter.com/wjs1mSKGVX
— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) Would possibly 19, 2022
“To win a gold on the earth championships is one thing which is able to act as an inspiration to Muslim women as neatly every woman within the nation to try to succeed in larger in lifestyles. A child, the place he’s boy or woman, has to make their very own means and Nikhat has paved her personal means,” an emotional Jameel informed The Indian Specific.
Along with her uncle Samsamuddin’s sons Etheshamuddin and Itishamuddni being boxers, a tender Nikhat didn’t must search for inspiration outdoor her circle of relatives circle. Her father didn’t discourage his daughter from getting into a recreation which failed to see many feminine boxers competing in Nizamabad and even Hyderabad within the overdue 2000’s.
With the game requiring women to put on shorts and coaching shirts, it used to be now not simple for the Jameel family. With each her oldsters together with her mom Parveen Sultana supporting her dream, the teen would turn into the 2011 global adolescence champion in Turkey defeating Ulku Demir of Turkey. “I used to paintings as a gross sales assistant in Saudi Arabia for 15 years sooner than I made up our minds to shift base to Nizamabad to improve my daughter’s research and sports activities.
Whilst Nikhat’s two elder sisters are medical doctors, I needed to spend time on Nikhat’s coaching in addition to her more youthful sister, who performs badminton. When Nikhat informed us about her willingness to turn into a boxer, there used to be no hesitation in our minds. However from time to time, family members or pals would let us know {that a} woman will have to now not play a recreation the place she has to put on shorts. However we knew that no matter Nikhat sought after, we’d improve her dream,” Jameel mentioned.
Whilst the teen would turn into the sector adolescence champion in 2011, it wasn’t until 2016 that she would burst at the senior stage along with her maiden senior nationwide identify in Haridwar the place she defeated Manisha within the ultimate within the flyweight class.
With 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Mary Kom too competing in the similar class, it wasn’t clean crusing for Nikhat within the senior stage. A shoulder damage in 2017 intended that she used to be out of the nationwide camp for a 12 months. The teen would go back to the hoop with a bronze within the senior nationals in 2018 except profitable the identify within the Belgrade global the similar 12 months.
The street to @Paris2024 starts⏱
?One Purpose-? #MissionParis2024#Paris2024 #Olympics percent.twitter.com/3Iw3xdxDnw
— Nikhat Zareen (@nikhat_zareen) August 8, 2021
Medals within the 2019 Asian Championships and Thailand Open can be signal of the kids upward thrust on the senior stage however with Mary Kom appearing her supremacy within the weight class, it used to be now not a very easy section for Zareen. She didn’t get a spoil within the Indian crew for 2018 CWG and Asian Video games however her father Jameel stored her motivated.
“When she gained the sector adolescence identify, she used to be 15-year-old and it might take a while for her to remember the fact that the transition to the senior stage shall be tricky.
The senior nationwide identify in 2016 made her assume like a senior boxer sooner than the shoulder damage took place. Whilst she would get probabilities in global tournaments, lacking out on giant tournaments did play on her thoughts. I’d inform her stories of many underprivileged boxers in Nizamabad, who would get glad after profitable sub-junior or junior titles and that there’s time for the whole thing. After her, two extra muslim women joined the nationwide boxing camp and I’d inform her that how she has turn into an inspiration for others,” Jameel mentioned.
Former SAI trainer Emani Chiranjeevi, who has educated Nikhat since 2014, too spent a large number of time with the teen put up her damage as neatly operating on her fundamentals. “Her greatest power has been her will energy and the facility to be a perceptive boxer who understands the sport neatly. Such things as when to hit a punch, prevent a punch or dodge a punch come naturally to her and her thoughts is at all times in pondering mode all over the bouts as neatly. Her ring craft comes to mind, consciousness and belief in gauging the opponent and that has helped her all the way through her profession,” Chiranjeevi mentioned.
With 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Mary Kom too competing in the similar class, it wasn’t clean crusing for Nikhat within the senior stage. (BFI)
Throughout the final 3 years, Zareen had wins over the likes of former light-flyweight (51kg) global champion Ekaterina Paltceva of Russia and two-time former gentle fly-weight global champion Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan. She beat Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Busenaz Cakiroglu of Turkey within the Strandja Memorial previous to the sector championships.
Whilst the likes of Rio Olympics flyweight bronze medallist Ingrit Valencia of Columbia and Cakiroglu had been competing within the 50 kg class in Turkey, a Paris 2024 weight class, Zareen shall be moving to the upper 54kg weight department put up the CWG and Asian Video games to get her shot at Olympic glory. “The primary problem in 54kg shall be so as to add extra energy and pace in her punches. Since she shall be including weight, we need to paintings on her stamina, which is an important as we transfer up with regards to weight.
Nikhat along with her father Md Jameel. (Fb)
She has the rate, which simplest must be tuned to that weight and he or she must upload power to her core sooner than specializing in the fundamentals within the new weight class to regulate,” Indian ladies’s crew nationwide trainer Bhaskar Chandra Bhatt mentioned.
And the Jameel family shall be making the arrangements for Nikhat’s go back. “For the final 2-3 years, she has neglected her favourite biryani and nihari. As soon as she will get unfastened from the camp, she may have a complete for 1-2 days simplest sooner than she once more will get busy,” Jameel added.