Muristek
Vinayak Padmadeo
Stubborn is a word that cannot be cited to define the newest member of India's World Champion club, Nikhat Zareen. The fifth Indian woman to win got at boxing's World Championships after Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC, Nikhat is anything but stubborn. The god-fearing 25-year-old adores her family, is respectful towards team members and has never had a bad word to say about the coaching staff, at least not publicly.
Zareen is ecstatic after securing gold.However, stubborn is a word that Nikhat associates with herself, saying this quality of hers is the only reason she became a boxer. When she started, she was told that women are not tough like men ndash; that they can't hit someone and take punishment in sport.
After a big discussion with her father, Jameel Ahmed, Nikhat, then not even a teenager, changed her ambitions of becoming a sprint star and donned the boxing gloves. That was almost unthinkable for a Muslim girl in the town of Nizamabad, some 180km from Hyderabad, even as recently as the first decade of this century.
Nikhat Zareenwith her father.Yet, Nikhat didn't really have to fight patriarchy ndash; not at home, at least. On the contrary, it was her father who took his daughters to the playground. A cricketer and footballer himself, he noticed that his third daughter had talent for sport. Nikhat's two older sisters are doctors, but she decided to become a sportsperson.
The taunts came from the others ndash; the biradari, the society. Relatives or friends would tell the family that a girl should not play a sport in which she must wear shorts.
"But we knew that whatever Nikhat wanted, we would support her dream," Jameel says.
Home base
Nikhat is grateful for the support she got at home. "I used to train for the 100-200 metres without a proper coach in Nizamabad. Urban Games were being held there some years ago, and I saw that there were no women boxers in the fray," Nikhat said.
"I asked my father ndash; 'Papa boxing kya sirf mardon ka game hai? Isme girls nahi hai?' (Is boxing a sport for only men? Why aren't girls participating)?"
She came back stronger from an injury in 2017.Ahmed's reply was that people think women are weak and are not suited for this sport.
"It motivated me to take the sport. I have always been stubborn since I was a child and I have never differentiated between a boy and a girl. I thought ndash; why does our society think girls are weak? Then I discussed it with my father and then I joined boxing," she says.
When she would come back with a black eye after sparring with boys ndash; there were no girls doing boxing in her town ndash; there would be a row at home, but she kept at it.
Tough journey
Nikhat's journey has seen its highs and lows. The emotional high of winning the gold in Istanbul has come at a toll, both mental and physical. Nikhat had been trying hard to get her stalled career back on track for a number of years.
Her idol Mary Kom stood in her way most of the time. That's the price she had to pay for being in the same weight class as the legend herself. Be it controversial wins for the six-time world champion or Boxing Federation of India (BFI) cancelling the trial for the Olympics hours before the start in 2019, Nikhat had to bear a lot.
Before that, she dislocated her shoulder, an injury that kept her out in 2018 ndash; an important year for sport, and she had to sit at home as her teammates competed at the Commonwealth and Asian Games and the World Championships.
However, Nikhat believes these struggles, though challenging, are the reason why she is winning since last year.
"I have become mentally stronger since my injury. I have learned from my struggles and now I know that I will keep on fighting despite all the challenges that arise. I never give up," she says.
In her moment of joy in Turkey, Nikhat remembered her family, the support she got from them, and her eyes welled up. "I was thinking about my parents then," she says of her tears she shed immediately after she won gold by beating Jitpong Jutamas of Thailand in the final. "My mother used to pray for my wins and I am happy that her prayers have been rewarded. Everyone knows how supportive my father is. This has happened because of my family's support. I remember when I was struggling, I had no one except for my family's support."
Challenges ahead
Nikhat says winning the world title is only the start of a new chapter as there are many challenges ahead. The first test is to decide on a weight category as the division she won in Istanbul ndash; 52kg ndash; is not an Olympics weight category. Her immediate choice is to go down to fight in the 50kg category in this year's Commonwealth Games.
"It is difficult to go up your weight as you will get boxers who are superior to you in terms of power and strength, especially in the Olympics," she explains. "However, in my case fighting in the 52kg category will not be a problem, as I normally weigh around 51 kilos. At this moment I think 50kg is the right weight for me but I will have to see how my body reacts to this weight."
Her second and most important challenge is to keep away from injuries.
"The big challenge is to keep your body at peak. I came back from Strandja memorial (in February) and I had to take part in the trials for the Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Though I managed to win the trials, the challenge is to stay injury-free," she says. Nikhat turns 26 next month. Having won the world title, she's at the peak in terms of confidence and boxing prowess. She's realised a dream she cherished as a child ndash; but it hasn't ended her passion, she's only made her dreams bigger.