Ultimate goal is to create history in Paris Olympics, says Nikhat Zareen

"My journey was very tough, almost like a rollercoaster with ups and downs. However I have never given up, I kept working hard and all that hard work has finally paid off," she said.

"My ultimate goal is Paris Olympics but I am focusing on each and every competition step by step. So now I am looking forward to Common Wealth Games," Zareen added.

Before Zareen, Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006), Lekha KC (2006), and Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2018) have won the World Boxing Championships.

This victory, however, came after a crushing defeat for Zareen — a loss that reshaped her.

In 2019, Nikhat Zareen was among the most vocal boxers who opposed Mary Kom’s automatic selection for the World Championships. She said that no boxer, whether a rookie or a superstar, should be chosen without a contest.

Reacting to Zareen’s comments, Kom rhetorically said, “Who is Nikhat Zareen? I don’t know who she is.” While Nikhat’s demand was overlooked back then as Mary had already qualified for the India Open Championships, the two boxers faced each other for the Olympic qualifiers.

Mary Kom won an easy victory over Zareen, defeating the latter by 9-1.

Following her defeat at the hands of Mary Kom, Ronald Simms, former coach of the US Air Force team, supported her. She trained at the Inspire Institute of Sports in Vijaynagar with Simms. Those close to Zareen say that losing against Kom ignited a fire within her, said a Sportstar report.

Later, in 2019, she won a silver medal at the Thailand Open. In the same year, she won a bronze at the Asian Championships, another bronze at the India Open, and gold at the Strandja Memorial.