In a major turn of events at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen has failed to secure a berth for the upcoming Asian and Commonwealth Games. Zareen, who competed in the women’s 51kg semi-final during the national trials, suffered a 1-4 defeat to Sakshi Chaudhary on Thursday, May 14.
The result confirms that 29-year-old Nikhat, whose form has fluctuated in recent months, will not be part of India’s contingent for the upcoming major championships. The 51kg category saw another upset as Meenakshi defeated Nita Ghanghas, ensuring a new look team in the division.
Nikhat Zareen’s participation in the trials became mandatory after she failed to secure a direct entry to the Asian Championships last month in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In that tournament, she reached the semifinals, but was defeated 0–5 by China’s Wu Yu, the reigning Olympic gold medalist. Only those who reached the finals in Mongolia received automatic qualification for the Asian Games.
Nikhat’s struggle to find a way past Wu Yu has become a recurring theme in her recent career, with the Chinese Olympic champion serving as her Achilles heel in both the Ulaanbaatar and Ulaanbaatar semifinals. during her Round of 16 exit at Paris 2024 Games.
As a result, while teammates Sachin Siwach (Men’s 60kg), Preeti Pawar (Women’s 54kg) and Priya Ghanghas (Women’s 60kg) have already confirmed their placements, Zareen has been forced into the Patiala Trials to fight for her place.
SELECTIVE turbulence
The trials took place against the backdrop of administrative disputes between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). Earlier this week, the SAI intervened to suspend the BFI national camp following complaints about the new marking-based selection policy.
Critics argued that the system, which judged boxers on sports science and attendance rather than pure results, lacked transparency. Following an announcement by the Sports Ministry, the BFI scrapped the controversial policy and reverted to an open match format that eventually saw Zareen quit the race.
With the 2018 gold medalist now sidelined, the BFI will be looking at a revamped line-up for the 2026 international calendar.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
14 May 2026 19:11 IST
