Bhopal: Referee raises the hand of boxer Nikhat Zareen as she wins her match against LK Abinaya during the 6th Elite Women National Boxing Championship 2022, at TT Stadium on Tuesday | -
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): She speaks softly but her punches are as sharp as a knife. She moves like a butterfly but attacks her opponents like a tigress. She is boxer Nikhat Zareen who is in Bhopal to take part in the 6th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship. In a tete-a-tete with Free Press, she spoke about her journey as a boxer. Excerpts
Why did you join boxing?
I've always been a rebel, and when I realised there were no girls in boxing, I became even more determined. I thought I would become one. I was the first woman boxer from my district - Nizamabad.
How was the initial stage of your boxing career?
When I started boxing, I was in school, and we didn’t have a boxing ring there; we used to practise on a small stage.
Till now, what was the lowest point of your career?
I injured my shoulder a while back, and it wasted one year of my career. People used to say, her career is over now but I fought back.
What changed after your international triumph?
When I won a medal for my country, people who used to mock at me and would question my boxing career started praising me. Now people support me, and it feels good.
Have you ever thought of starting a training centre?
Yes! Actually, I would love it if the government gave me some land where I could establish my training centre. I’ll train girls there, and it’d help produce more boxing talents in the country.
Who in your family was against you taking up boxing?
My mother was not opposed to it. She was just afraid that I might ruin my face by boxing. She used to say, "Who’s going to marry her?" But I always told her, "Many will be in line to marry me once I do something big in life."
What difference do you see now in boxing?
The change is very evident, not just in the game but in society too. Now, people are supporting women in every sport and it is the same for boxing too. It makes me happy.
How do you view yourself?
Boxer or no boxer, I’ll always be a fighter, a rebel, and a changemaker, and that’s how a youth should be to change the system.
