Nikhat Zareen, the 50kg World champion, wants to remain injury-free and in a good mental space in order to achieve her dream of winning an Olympic medal in Paris.
The champion boxer said she was excited and nervous ahead of the Olympics. “It (getting nervous) is my thing before any competition. My body works well if I get nervous. Besides, I have no experience of competing in the Olympics,” said Nikhat from Patiala through a virtual interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India on June 12.
Nikhat said qualifying for the Olympics at the Asian Games in October last gave her enough time to prepare well as she could follow the coaches’ plan of training and exposure at home and abroad.
Nikhat felt her silver winning performance in the Strandja Memorial, training in Montenegro and Turkey and gold winning effort in the Elorda Cup put her on the right track for the Games.
She admitted that her slow start in the semifinals (against Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat) in the Asian Games cost her a better medal and taught her a lesson. “I have worked on my mistake.”
Nikhat accepted that the Olympics would pose a different challenge. “Some tough opponents are there, but I cannot ignore others. With no ranking and no seeding, luck will play its part. Hope to get a good draw.
“In the 2023 World championships, since I came down from 52kg to 50kg, I was unseeded. So it does not matter. You want to win no matter how tough the draw is.”
On her mission for Paris, Nikhat said, “I never thought a girl who was once seen as a challenger (to the iconic Mary Kom) could be the face of Indian boxing. I am blessed and grateful to have achieved my dream of becoming a World champion. Now, I want to fulfil my second dream of winning an Olympic medal.”
Preeti Pawar, an Asian under-22 champion who qualified in 54kg, said her challenge was proving herself better everyday. “After the Asian Games, every tournament I competed in I treated it as part of my preparation for the Olympics,” said Preeti.
Preeti, who impressed on her elite international debut at the 2023 World championships, took pressure on her stride. “Pressure is expected when you represent India. I forget the pressure when I enter the ring.”
Other quota place winners, Amit Panghal, Nishant Dev and Jaismine Lamboria, were also present during the interaction.
