In the world of boxing, only a few names are in the headlines. Mary Kom is one of those but newcomers are now scripting history at a global level and even challenging the legends. The New World Boxing Champion, boxer Nikhat Zareen, has shown there can be a world champion other than Mary Kom.
Nikhat Zareen 🇮🇳 is the champion of the world! This is the marquee flyweight division and she has coasted in style. She's won every bout at World championships by 5-0 unanimous decision pic.twitter.com/6eIDj5D3dy
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) May 19, 2022
She is 5th female boxer from India to get the gold medal at the world boxing championship. Nikhat defeated Thailand’s boxer Jitpong Jutamas in Istanbul to bring the first gold medal to the country after 4 years.
But her journey to gold had several roadblocks and she did everything to cross them even if it means challenging former world champion Mary Kom.
2019- When Boxer Nikhat Zareen Opposed Mary Kom
Three years ago, when selection for the world championship was happening Nikhat was not on the list. Mary Kom, on the other hand, was selected automatically as she qualified for the India Open Championship.
Nikhat opposed this and said that selections would be made on a trial basis and that rules should be the same for everyone. She challenged Mary Kom on this basis. In the Tokyo Olympic qualifier round, both got a chance to compete for head to head but Mary won by a 9-1 score.
Also Read: Mary Kom Titled As ‘Asia’s Best Women Athlete’: Proud Moment For India
Boxer Nikhat Zareen Biography and Life
The young boxer belongs to Telangana and was born to Parveen Sultana and Jameel Ahmed. Her father was a footballer and cricketer and dreamed of seeing his kids in sports too.
Nikhat, one of the four siblings, took interest in boxing and got trained. She won many medals and became state champion. However, her life changed when she participated in the World Youth Boxing Champion. Nikhat won the tournament and did not look back since then.
Also Read: Highest-Paid Female Athletes : No.10 Is The Odd One Out
Education and Awards
via:telanganatoday
The 25 years old is continuing her studies for a Bachelor of Arts from AV college of Hyderabad. She is also a staff officer in the BOI. Nikhat is very much devoted to boxing and has won several accolades.
List of Championship Won by Nikhat Zareen
- Gold medal in 2011 women’s junior and youth world boxing championship
- Silver medal in 2014 Youth world boxing championships, 2019 Thailand Open
- Gold medal in 2014 Nations Cup international boxing tournament, Senior Woman National Boxing Championship
- Defeated 3-time champion Tetiana Kob of Ukraine and won gold in the 2022 Strandja Memorial Boxing tournament
- Won the 2022 Women’s World Championship in the 52kg category and hail as a new world champion
After winning so many tournaments at different levels, Nikhat is now planning for the Paris Olympics in 2024.