She arrived in the city hoping to meet Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy after her recent silver medal winning performance in the World Youth Women’s Boxing Championship in Bulgaria.
But, 17-year-old Nikhat Zareen has been unable to do so and is staying put at her uncle’s place at Ahmednagar as the political developments have kept the powers-that-be quite busy so as to spare time for this champion boxer.
Zareen, who was on the way to her hometown Nizamabad from Visakhapatnam, also planned to meet top officials but things had to be put on hold owing to the political developments.
The main issue is getting the cash incentive for which Zareen is eligible according to the government’s sports policy. “With Labour Minister Danam Nagender (president of AP Boxing Association) taking the initiative, we are looking forward to get some financial support. It is very difficult to get recognition coming from a small town,” Md. Jameel Ahmed, her father says.
Zareen is being tipped as one of the best young talents in women’s boxing having won the World Junior Championship in Turkey in 2011. “Once I enter the boxing ring nothing else matters,” says Zareen who was persuaded by her father to take up boxing.
“It is a tough sport but once you get punched, you feel used to it and even start enjoying boxing,” says the teenager, who is a big fan of five-time world champion Mary Kom and the legendary Mohammad Ali.
