
In a twist that left fans and pundits astounded, Indian boxing champion Nikhat Zareen‘s dreams of competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics were dashed. Zareen was one of India’s medal prospects in the championships but was shockingly beaten by China’s Wu Yu in a closely contested fight that has alerted the Indian boxing fraternity.
Nikhat Zareen, too, was a favourite for the Paris Olympics, considering her past performances. The 27-year-old boxer had been fantastic right up to the Games, with several International wins to her credit. As for her arrival in Paris, she followed the path of winning fights and gaining sufficient desire, which made her an avant-garde player in the field of boxing.
What happened?
When the time came for Zareen’s bout with Wu Yu, people had high hopes for her to extend her wins. She was very confident, and her training schedule had been designed so that she could perform to the best of her ability during the Olympics.
Paris Olympics boxing schedule was quite awaited, and among the most awaited boxing matches was Nikhat Zareen v/s Wu Yu. The International Boxing Federation (IBF) targeted the match as one of the most important bouts, with both fighters being explosive and technically sound.
And it was not hard to tell that this would be a match to remember. Wu Yu, characterized by her agility and efficiency in counter-punching, initiated the game and was aggressive as she took on her opponent, Zareen. The Indian boxer, however, managed to push back with her favourite punches and complex defensive tactics to indicate that she was not going to surrender quickly.
Gradually, the fight became more and more heated as the rounds continued on the show. Many of Wu Yu’s tactics appeared to focus on Zareen’s body, especially in this round, and the Indian boxer appeared to be losing her natural rhythm. Zareen did not back out of the fight; however, she landed several good punches that kept her in that fight.
The last round of the fight featured full attacking combinations from both fighters, and the viewers were tense. However, it was the last bell that saw Wu Yu a winner, and the judges gave her the much-needed nod to enable her to win by a hairline. The decision, Wu Yu’s victory, was not well embraced; some fans asked for the exact scoring while others accepted since Wu Yu was tactical.
Millions of Indian homes were disappointed to the hilt when Nikhat Zareen missed a historic medal with a whisker. Thousands of boxing news forums shared their insights about the fight and Wu Yu’s approach to the match, as well as people’s concern for Zareen’s result.
During the post-fight interview, Zareen was somewhat teary, but I must admit that she handled herself quite well as she spoke about the fight. “I have done everything that I could to win, but today was not my lucky day, ” she said, lifting the lid in appreciation and admiration of Wu Yu’s performance. “I will go back home, train again, and come back even a better player. ”
The International Boxing Federation also spoke out after the bout and praised the work of both sportsmen. While the decision went in favour of the Chinese boxer, the need to commend both Nikhat Zareen and Wu Yu for displaying a good international boxing code could not be overemphasized. All eyes will be looking forward to watching Nikhat Zareen in subsequent bouts.
Even now, Nikhat Zareen is one of India’s most promising boxing prospects. She performed exceptionally well in her next bouts, barring the defeat to Lekha. Her experience in the sport has not been without hitches, and another such blow is not likely to hold her back for long.
The attention turns to the Indian boxer’s future. Zareen’s next course of action will be to get back to training camp, dissect the match and work on the factors that were responsible for her loss. The following major international boxing event is the World Championships, and there are rumours that Zareen may build a strong comeback for the tournament.
People and her fans are still expecting that she will be back and fight again so as to make India proud once more. It does not bode well for Indian boxing that the country’s last medal hope, Nikhat Zareen, failed to do well at the Paris Olympics.
This brings to the memory the stiff competition that exists at the international level and the fact that improvement is constant. Although Zareen’s loss was a disappointment, it was also a sign of how far Indian boxing has come in the last few years. IBF has been trying to improve the standard of boxing globally with the help of national federations.
However, the journey to Olympic success is never easy, and the Paris 2024 Olympics have made it clear that preparation and support for athletes must be even higher.
Conclusion of the tournament
Nikhat Zareen might not have performed with distinction during the Olympic games, but she is not through with the competition yet. As she moves back into the ring of life, we will surely see the mark left by Paris 2024 on her future performance. Nikhat Zareen is the unbroken spirit of the incredible female boxing champion of India.
As for now, the world of boxing just watches and waits for what will happen to this terrific athlete in the future.
references
https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-boxing-nikhat-zareen-women-50kg-round-16-exit
https://www.news18.com/olympics/paris-olympics-2024-boxing-indias-nikhat-zareen-crashes-out-after-0-5-loss-to-chinas-wu-yu-8986508.html
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/olympics/paris-2024/news/nikhat-zareen-boxing-paris-2024-olympics-boxing-womens-round-of-16-wu-yu-score-result-news/article68471995.ece
https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/nikhat-zareen-vows-to-bounce-back-after-olympics-loss-to-wu-yu-9489643/
