Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 13
Ever since Nikhat Zareen won gold at the World Championships after defeating Jitpong Jutamas in Istanbul last month, the 24-year-old has been bombarded with questions about her community or whether she had to face any hardships to make a breakthrough in the male-dominated sport.
During an interaction at the Indian Women Press Corps today, the pugilist took such questions the same way she takes the game to her opponents – like a pro.
When quizzed about non-sport issues like the hijab controversy that rocked Karnataka, Nikhat said first and foremost, she is Indian.
“I am representing my country as an athlete. I am not representing any specific community. I am an Indian and want to win for my country,” Nikhat said.
Moments earlier, Nikhat, who hails from Nizamabad in Telangana, had disclosed how members of her community had tried to discourage her. “People do not generally encourage girls there. They would rather want them to stay at home. However, since I was a child I had always played and mixed with the boys. I never had this feeling that girls were inferior to boys. I chose boxing for that precise reason,” she explained. “When I started I was told it was a tough sport for a girl but I proved them wrong. I hope I keep on doing this. I remember when I first sparred with the boys. I came home with blood all over my shirt. My mother was horrified. She told me ‘we will never be able to marry you if you continue’. My reply was ‘let me become famous, you will have many grooms lining up outside our house’!”
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