‘Nikhat Zareen is a fighter, be it in life or the ring’ Indian boxer vows to bounce back after loss to Wu Yu

Her combination with the right is a tell. Like a Sachin Tendulkar straight drive early in the innings that would forecast his form. Or the deft first touch that signalled Lionel Messi’s mood.

For Nikhat Zareen to sting, her right fist has to sing. If she lands any combination attack with the right, say her coaches, they sit calmly in her corner almost assured of the outcome — the success rate when that happens, they’ve noted, is more than 90 per cent.

On Thursday they waited for that to happen. The two-time world champion swayed to the right and attempted a hook; stepped back and attacked; leaned forward and jabbed; when nothing worked, she wildly flung the right, a Hail Mary move. But the punch never connected.

Nikhat entered the ring smiling, punching the air and deeply exhaling. She left with tears in her eyes, an apology and a promise to return stronger.

This wasn’t how Nikhat envisaged her maiden Olympics to be. But it was a humbling realisation for the Indian, who has medalled wherever she has competed, of why an Olympic medal remains a holy grail for most athletes.

One of India’s top medal prospects at the Paris Olympics, the boxer suffered a one-sided defeat to the Chinese world number 1 Wu Yu in the women’s 50 kg Round of 16. All five judges were unanimous in their verdict.`

Her loss was the first of a series of bad news for India’s contingent on a day when the country won its third medal at the Paris Olympics. Soon after, men’s doubles favourites Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were beaten in the quarterfinals. Sift Kaur Samra and Anjum Moudgil’s meek exit in the qualifying round of the 50m rifle 3-position completed India’s worst couple of hours of the Games so far, ending the dreams of the major medal contenders.

Bruised ego, feeling of injustice

Soon after her bout, Nikhat’s mind was a web of different, colliding emotions.

The boxer’s ego was bruised, having to acknowledge she lost to a better opponent. She harboured a feeling of injustice that she was handed a rough draw, where she also had to compete in an extra bout compared to Wu Yu. There was a sense of longing to spend time with her parents, nephew and niece. Tired and hungry, too, after going two days without eating to maintain her weight.

The most overwhelming of all was a sense of sadness. Olympic rings adorn her right-hand wrap, and the words ‘Paris 2024’ are emblazoned in golden ink on the left. She even wears the five rings on her finger — a ring bearing the Olympic symbol, a gift from her father. Her life has been guided by this one solitary ambition.

When her moment came, after years of waiting, the boxer who operates with an air of invincibility inside the ring was left chasing her slippery opponent’s shadows.

Light on her feet and blindingly fast with her hands, Wu Yu would duck under Nikhat’s punches and swerve sideways to evade. Then, she’d land a clean blow herself to impress the judges and keep Nikhat guessing as to where the next punch would come from.

“It was my first match against Wu Yu. It was an experience. I didn’t have the knowledge of how to face her,” Nikhat admitted. “When I was attacking, she moved quickly and stepped away. She was faster than me.”

Weigh-in worries and sleepless nights

It didn’t help that she endured a sleepless night. In the German town of Saarbrucken, where she was camping in the lead-up to the Olympics, Nikhat is learnt to have been at least 2-3 kilos over 50 kg, the maximum weight an athlete can have in her category.

Nikhat said she had been fasting for the last two days to ensure she remained within the weight limit on Thursday. “For two days, I haven’t eaten or drank anything. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. Today, mine was the first bout of the morning session so I couldn’t recover properly after the weigh-in. I had breakfast and came to the venue,” she said.

“I couldn’t sleep last night because I hadn’t eaten anything. My mind was 24 hours active, thinking that I’d drink water, and eat immediately after weigh-in. If I had won the bout and said this, people would appreciate it. Since I have lost, people will say it’s an excuse. But honestly, I couldn’t sleep last night, you can check my data.”

She didn’t deny, though, that the result was a ‘setback’ for her. “But I will learn from it.”

Solo trip on her mind

The bout against Wu Yu, she added, has given her a direction for the Los Angeles Olympics four years from now — that she’ll have to get ‘physically and mentally stronger’. This, however, Nikhat said would not rank as a ‘disappointment’.

“I’ve put in all the effort that I could. I’ve slogged in training, sparred with boys, faced minor injuries. I’ve trained through those injuries. But this Olympic performance I wouldn’t count as a disappointment. Unfortunately, I landed a tough draw,” she said.

Next on her agenda is a solo trip. The Paris Games consumed a better part of her life for the last three years, and Nikhat said she now wants to do things that were put on the back burner: Spending time with her nephew and niece. “I miss spending time with them,” she said. “I will try to go for a solo trip. I’ve never experienced it in life.”

When she returns to the ring, Nikhat says one thing will remain unchanged: her spirit. “My journey has never been easy, and it will remain tough going forward. (But) Nikhat Zareen is a fighter, be it in life or the ring.”

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