Nikhat Zareen (Image credit: X)
PATIALA: Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen suffered a heartbreaking exit from boxing selection trials for the upcoming CWG and Asian Games on Thursday. But beyond the disappointment of defeat, Nikhat revealed the physical and mental toll of a chaotic two-week build-up that she described as “torturous” for boxers.Competing in the women’s 51kg category at the NS NIS Centre here, Nikhat lost 1-4 in the semifinal to Haryana’s Sakshi Chaudhary, representing Services, ending the former’s hopes of representing India at two of the year’s biggest multisport events. Sakshi, who moved down from the 54 kg division specifically to target qualification for the Glasgow CWG and Aichi-Nagoya Asiad, produced a composed performance to outbox the experienced 29-year-old from Telangana.The defeat came as a surprise, what with Nikhat widely considered one of the country’s strongest medal contenders. The bruising contest left a visible mark beneath her left eye, while exhaustion reflected the intensity of both the bout 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 bout. “I was mentally and physically drained. My body was feeling exhausted. I was not spending enough time at home. I’ve been travelling continuously for tournaments since Jan 2025.”Nikhat admitted that the relentless schedule had left her with little recovery time and that she now plans to focus on rebuilding her fitness, endurance and strength before targeting qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics. “Next, I’ll prepare for the Nationals whenever the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) announces them. I’ll make a strong comeback,” she said, “The world qualifiers for the LA Olympics next year will be my first priority. I’ll give my best there.”However, the larger frustration for Nikhat stemmed from what she called administrative tussle between the BFI and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which she said severely affected the athletes’ preparation. “In their administrative fight, athletes got sandwiched. We suffered and felt hurt. Both SAI and BFI had their issues with the assessment process, but boxers had to pay the price. It was two torturous weeks for boxers.”According to Nikhat, uncertainty surrounding the national camp and repeated changes in assessment protocols created immense stress ahead of the trials. “The camp was supposed to begin on May 26, but the sanction didn’t come. I don’t have a proper training centre in Telangana, so I was stressed because the camp wasn’t starting,” she explained. She revealed that boxers were subjected to strict weight-monitoring and conditioning assessments before being informed that those evaluation scores would ultimately not count.“There were daily weight targets. From five percent body weight, you had to gradually reduce to four, three, two and finally one percent,” she said, “For the last few days, every boxer followed the full training plan — physical tests, strength tests and beep tests. Then suddenly they (BFI) told us the points from those tests would not be counted. It created a stressful atmosphere ahead of the trials.”Nikhat also spoke about the extreme dietary restrictions she followed while cutting weight. “From April 29, I completely skipped carbs and rice. I survived on salad, boiled vegetables, protein and one or two pieces of chicken. We had to lose around 500 grams every day,” she revealed.Reflecting on her semifinal defeat, Nikhat credited Sakshi for executing a smart tactical bout and was gracious in her defeat. “Sakshi had a good reach advantage. Her left punches were effective and I couldn’t go inside and attack properly. I accept defeat gracefully. I’ve lost many times before in my career and never created drama. It just wasn’t my day.”Women’s team head coach Santiago Nieva backed Nikhat to bounce back strongly despite missing out on the CWG and Asiad. “The competition was open and boxers needed to prove themselves,” Nieva said. “Obviously, this CWG and Asiad window is closed for Nikhat now, but she has to aspire for the Olympics. She has plenty of experience and can bounce back strongly in her weight category. Sakshi boxed very well today.”The trials also witnessed other surprise exits, with Nitu Ghanghas (51kg), Pooja Rani (80kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) failing to secure places in the national squad after semifinal defeats in their respective categories.
