Nikhat Zareen Rebuilds After Setbacks, Targets LA Olympics

The last year proved to be a period of reflection for Nikhat Zareen, one that taught her to temper expectations while also strengthening her resolve to fulfil her dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

- Aparajita Upadhyay

After a stellar run that included back-to-back world titles, a Commonwealth Games gold and an Asian Games bronze, expectations were sky-high for Nikhat heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics.

However, fate had a different script in store as the Telangana boxer returned empty-handed after losing to eventual champion Wu Yu in the round of 16.

"In sports, there are ups and downs. You can't just expect one athlete to perform all the time and be at her peak level. But you don't lose hope,” Nikhat told PTI during the ongoing National Championships.

"Setbacks are a part of sport, a part of life. That's when you realise where you are going wrong. So you work on that. Take a pause and come back stronger.”

That is exactly what Nikhat attempted to do after the Paris Games, taking a break to reset. But her comeback was derailed by a knee injury that required months of rehab.