By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Guwahati: Nikhat Zareen, a 19-year-old boxer from the Nizamabad District of Telangana brought more laurels to her state and family by state by winning the Gold Medal at 16th Senior Woman National Boxing Championship at Assam.
Mentored by Emani Chiranjeevi, a veteran Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach, Nikhat won 3-0 against Vanlal Duati from Mizoram.
Earlier this year, she was adjudged ‘best boxer’ in the All India Inter-University boxing championship in Jalandhar.
A gold medalist in Women’s Junior and Youth World Boxing Championship, Nikhat won silver in the Youth World Boxing Championship held in Bulgaria in 2014.In same year in Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament, she won the gold medal in Tournament held in Novi Sad, Serbia on 12 January 2014.
Zareen’s father, Mohammad Jameel Ahmed, introduced her to the sport of boxing after being questioned as to why women weren’t participating in the Urban Games in 2002. This motivated her to take up the gloves and go against both religious and family resistance. Her father captained his district team in cricket and participated actively in athletics and football.
He also encouraged her to pursue athletics and she trained under her father for a year but she was always destined for the ring. Nikhat was inducted into the Sports Authority of India in Vishakhapatnam to train under Erode Nationals in 2010.
The government of Telnagana has also appointed Nikhat as the official ambassador of her home town Nizamabad.