Injury-free Nikhat Zareen aims for comeback in May

Greater Noida: "No one moves on so quickly in life," Nikhat Zareen said, her voice heavy with the weight of her painful Paris Olympics experience.

Struggling with a knee injury after Paris and the looming uncertainty surrounding the sport’s future in the Olympics, the two-time World Champion found herself grappling with the thought that her dream of standing on the Olympic podium might never be realised.

But the recent inclusion of boxing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has reignited the spark of hope within her. After being sidelined with injury since the Paris Games, the 28-year-old is now determined to make a comeback and aims to be competition-ready by May.

"I had a minor injury (meniscus) which required 3-4 months of rehab. It's fine now but obviously if you want to enter the competition circuit, you need to have ring endurance. So, I will be back in May," Zareen said on the sidelines of the ongoing women's boxing championships here.

With several major competitions scheduled this year, Zareen said her main focus will be on the World Championship in September, followed by the World Cup, which will be hosted by India.

"My main focus will be on the World Championship and also the World Cup which India is hosting." In her Olympic debut, Zareen's campaign ended in the round of 16 as she went down to eventual champion Wu Yu of China.

"No one moves on so fast in life. Nobody moves on from what they have gone through. But I have accepted it, it's okay to lose. Now it's time to focus on future and move on from that." Reflecting on her bout in Paris, Zareen added, "I watched my bout and of course there were a lot of mistakes. After watching the bout, you always feel that 'oh I could have landed a punch here there'. But that scenario is different in the ring.

"I was up against one of the best boxers in the flyweight category. I know I should have been at my best, and I’ve learned from my mistakes. I’ll work on those areas." The recent decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include boxing in the 2028 LA Games has come as a huge relief to boxers worldwide.

"I was really happy. After Paris, I was really heartbroken. People were saying that boxing is not included in the LA Olympics. So, I felt that my dream of winning the Olympics medal is over.

"But when I got the news yesterday, I got hope that I have another chance to represent India at the Olympics. I have another chance to fulfil my dream." The conflict between the International Boxing Association (IBA) -- the old world governing body for boxing -- and the IOC had left boxers in limbo, uncertain about the sport's future in the Games.

Zareen admitted the lack of clarity had been difficult to navigate.

"Every athlete should have clarity when they prepare for any competition because when there is no clarity, they are also clueless as to why we are working so hard.

"Post Olympics, I was also not sure if boxing will come or not. So, I was not putting a lot of pressure on me that I have to come back. But now all is sorted." The women's National Championships are the first event the women's boxers are competing since the Olympics in August.

However, several state units have barred their boxers from participating in the event due to the Boxing Federation of India elections next week.

"An athlete, a boxer should not stay away from the competition because a feeling of detachment arises. That feeling should not come for any athlete like it has for me after Paris ... but for me it's due to injury," Zareen said.