new delhi: Two-time gold medallist Nikhat Zareen has put behind the disappointment of missing out on a third World Championships medal, and is now focussed on collecting maximum ranking points by winning the top prize in the upcoming World Boxing Cup Finals.
The event will be held in Greater Noida from November 14 to 21. Nikhat, who competes in flyweight and light flyweight categories, won World Championship gold medals in 2022 in Istanbul and 2023 in New Delhi.
But she failed to replicate that in 2025 in Liverpool, losing in the quarterfinals to two-time Olympic silver medallist Buse Naz Çakıroğlu of Turkey.
“I won’t say it (World Championships) was disappointing. See you are coming back after a break of one year and still you are a part of Team India and then going there winning two bouts and losing to a very good boxer, two-time Olympic silver medallist. I would appreciate that I didn’t give up,” Nikhat told reporters here on Tuesday.
She was speaking on the sidelines of the logo unveiling ceremony of the World Boxing Cup Finals.
“I had so much energy that I defeated boxers who were in the camp for 3-4 months and got selected in the Indian team. I won’t let down myself by saying that I came empty-handed from there. Sometimes you have to take some competitions as a lesson. It was my first competition post Paris Olympics, so it was a great learning for me.
“Now I am looking forward to participate in the World Cup Finals which India is hosting. I am really excited, everyone is working and preparing very hard. I hope we better our Liverpool performance here,” the 29-year-old pugilist said.
“It’s very important for all of us to win medals in all the upcoming world competitions so that we can collect as many points as possible because it will help us in Asiad.”