Nikhat Zareen (Image credit: X)
PATIALA: Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen suffered a heartbreaking exit from the boxing selection trials for the upcoming CWG and Asian Games on Thursday. But beyond the disappointment of the defeat, Nikhat revealed the physical and mental toll of the chaotic two-week build-up, which she described as “torturous” for the boxers.Competing in the women’s 51kg category at the NS NIS Center here, Nikhat lost 1-4 in the semi-finals to Haryana’s Sakshi Chaudhary, representing Services, ending her hopes of representing India at the two biggest multi-sport events of the year. Sakshi, who stepped down from the 54kg division specifically to target qualification for the Glasgow CWG and Aichi-Nagoya Asiad, produced a composed performance to see off the experienced 29-year-old from Telangana.The defeat came as a surprise, with Nikhat widely considered one of the country’s strongest medal contenders. The bruising bout left a visible mark under her left eye, while the exhaustion reflected the intensity of the seizure and the weeks leading up to it.Despite the setback, Nikhat remained composed and introspective. “I feel whatever happens happens for a good reason. Now I can go back home and work on my mistakes,” she told TOI after the match. “I was mentally and physically exhausted. My body was exhausted. I didn’t spend enough time at home. From January 2025, I’m constantly traveling for tournaments.”Nikhat admitted that the relentless schedule left her with little time to recover and that she now plans to focus on rebuilding her fitness, endurance and strength before aiming to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics. “I will continue to prepare for the Nationals whenever the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) announces them. I will make a strong comeback,” she said, “the first priority will be the world qualifiers for the LA Olympics next year. I will give my best there.”But the bigger frustration for Nikhat stemmed from what she called the administrative wrangling between the BFI and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which she said had seriously affected the athletes’ training. “In their administrative tussle, the athletes were pinned down. We suffered and felt hurt. Both the SAI and the BFI had problems with the evaluation process, but the boxers had to pay the price. It was an agonizing two weeks for the boxers.”According to Nikhat, the uncertainty surrounding the national camp and repeated changes in the assessment protocols created huge stress ahead of the exams. “The camp was supposed to start on May 26, but the sanction didn’t come. I don’t have a proper training center in Telangana, so I was stressed because the camp didn’t start,” she explained. She revealed that the boxers were subjected to strict weight monitoring and fitness assessments before being informed that these assessments would not count after all.“There were daily weight targets. You had to go from five per cent bodyweight to four, three, two and finally one per cent,” she said, “For the last few days every boxer followed the whole training plan – physical tests, strength tests and beep tests. Then suddenly they (the BFI) told us that the points from these tests would not count. It created a stressful atmosphere before the trials.”Nikhat also spoke about the extreme dietary restrictions she followed to lose weight. “From April 29, I completely cut out carbs and rice. I survived on salad, cooked vegetables, protein and one or two pieces of chicken. We had to lose around 500 grams every day,” she revealed.Reflecting on her semi-final defeat, Nikhat credited Sakshi for playing a smart tactical match and was kind to her defeat. “Sakshi had good range. Her left jabs were effective and I couldn’t go in and attack properly. I take defeat with grace. I’ve lost many times in my career and I never created drama. It just wasn’t my day.”Women’s team head coach Santiago Nieva backed Nikhat to bounce back strongly despite missing the CWG and Asiad. “The competition was open and the boxers needed to prove themselves,” said Nieva. “Obviously this CWG and Asiad window is now closed for Nikhat, but she has to aspire to the Olympics. She has a lot of experience and can bounce back a lot in her weight class. Sakshi boxed very well today.”The trials also saw other surprise exits with Nitu Ghanghas (51kg), Pooja Rani (80kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) failing to secure spots in the national team after semi-final defeats in their respective categories.
