Who Is Nikhat Zareen? Boxer Won Gold At Women's World Championship

Who is Nikhat Zareen? The boxer Nikhat Zareen won the gold medal in the 52-kilogram category at the Women's World Championship at the 12th edition of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Istanbul. She beat Jutamas Jitping by 5-0. Not only this, she became the fifth Indian woman boxer to do so after Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC.

She was congratulated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who wrote, "Our boxers have made us proud! Congratulations to @nikhat_zareen for a fantastic gold medal win at the Women's World Boxing Championship." He also congratulated Manisha Moun and Parveen Hooda for getting the bronze medals in the same competition.

Sharing a post by the Boxing Federation, Union home minister Amit Shah also congratulated the 25-year-old boxer from Telangana. He tweeted, "Congratulations to @nikhat_zareen for winning the Gold medal at the Women's World Boxing Championships. India is proud of your achievement. Best wishes for your future endeavours."

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Reacting to the win, her father Mohammad Jameel told the Indian Express, "To win gold in the world championships is something which will act as an inspiration to Muslim girls as well each girl in the country to aim to achieve bigger in life. A kid, where he is boy or girl, has to make their own way and Nikhat has paved her own way."

Who Is Nikhat Zareen?

Jameel is a former footballer and cricketer. He wanted one of his four children to pick up a sport and Nikhat, who is his third daughter picked one. At a very young age, she emerged the state champion in sprint events as well. She took boxing advice from her uncle Samsamuddin, as both his sons were being trained to be boxers.

At the age of 14, she has crowned the World Youth Boxing Champion. In 2017, she missed an entire year because of a shoulder injury but after five years, she came back with a bang.

Not only did she excel in the professional space but also emerged victorious from personal struggles. Girls in her household were not allowed to wear shorts and training shirts but her father and mother Parveen Sultana made sure that this does not come in between her dream.

She was born in Nizamabad in Telangana and was trained at the Inspire Institute of Sports in Vijaynagar by the American coach Ronn Simms.