Despite her stellar performance in recent tournaments, Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen wasn’t seeded at the Paris Olympics 2024. The decision has sparked debate, with critics pointing to stringent qualifying criteria and unexpected ranking shifts that left her out of the coveted seedings, stirring the boxing community.
This has significantly impacted Nikhat Zareen, India’s best boxing medal hope for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite having several medals in the Olympic cycle, she was left unseeded and given one of the toughest draws in her weight category.
Why Are Boxers Seeded?
This system aims to separate the top-ranked boxers in each weight category for a balanced competition. After extensive discussions with stakeholders, the PBU finalised a seeding procedure to ensure fair competition among the top boxers.
Who Is Responsible for the Seeding Procedure?
An ad-hoc working group comprising representatives from all five continents was formed to set up the seeding procedure. One key rule that is followed is that seeding will be based only on continental qualifiers, which were the first chances for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to qualify their boxers.
Why Was Nikhat Zareen Left Unseeded?
Nikhat is unseeded at the Paris Olympics because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not recognize the International Boxing Association (IBA). This means her IBA-organized World Championship titles don’t count. As a result, she won’t get any byes and will need to fight four bouts to reach the final. Notably, Nikhat was also unseeded at the 2023 World Championships and the 2023 Asian Games.
What Criteria Were Used for the Seeding Process?
In the seeding process, boxers are divided into three groups, with final positions drawn within each group. This process is done separately for each of the 13 Olympic weight categories.
Seeds 1 to 4 will be given to the champions of the Asian Games, European Games, and Pan-American Games, while the remaining position in this group and seed 5 will go to the champions of the African Qualifying Tournament and the Pacific Games.
Seeds 6 to 8 will be assigned to the second-place finishers from the Asian Games, European Games, and Pan-American Games.
To ensure transparency, Omega will conduct the draws for final seeding positions before the Olympic Games. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) with boxers competing will be invited to watch the draw online. If quota places or seeds need to be reassigned, the next highest-ranked boxer from the relevant continental tournament will get the seed. Any ties in final rankings will be decided by a draw.
Are Any Indian Boxers Seeded?
Yes, Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain is seeded eighth in her weight category (75kg).
Lovlina will start against Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad, which should be a manageable match for her. However, Lovlina faces a tough draw. If she wins her first bout, she will likely meet China’s Li Qian in the quarterfinals. Qian, a two-time Olympic medalist, had previously defeated Lovlina for the gold at the Asian Games and recently won against her at the Grand Prix in Czechia. Despite this, Lovlina had beaten Qian at the 2023 World Championships.
How Do The Draws Look For The Other Indian Boxers?
Nikhat Zareen – Women’s 50kg: India’s top medal hope, Nikhat Zareen, has been given the most difficult draw. She will start against Germany’s Maxi Klotzer, the 2023 World Boxing Cup winner. If she wins, she’ll face China’s Wu Yu in the round of 16. Yu is the top seed, the World champion in the 52kg division, and the Asian Games gold medalist. Nikhat will have the advantage of already having fought one bout, while Yu will be competing for the first time.
Preeti Pawar – Women’s 54kg: Asian Games bronze medalist Preeti Pawar will begin her campaign against Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh in the round of 32. A win would lead her to face Yeni Arias, the World silver medalist and second seed.
Jaismine Lamboria – Women’s 57kg: Jaismine will need to win four bouts to reach the final, facing top competitors from the start. She will meet the Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio in the round of 32. Petecio is a Tokyo Olympics silver medalist and a former world champion.
Amit Panghal – Men’s 51kg: Amit Panghal, returning to the national team after a three-year break, will face the third seed, Patrick Chinyemba, in his first bout. Chinyemba, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics and won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was defeated by Amit at the Commonwealth Games.
Nishant Dev – Men’s 71kg: Nishant Dev has a relatively favorable draw. He has a bye in the first round and will face Ecuador’s Tenorio Rodriguez next. If he wins, he’ll advance to the quarter-finals, where he might meet Marco Verde, the Pan American Games champion from Mexico. Nishant will need to win two bouts to secure at least a bronze medal.
Defying All Odds, Nikhat Zareen is Ready to Conquer Olympics 2024 Challenge
In 2019, as the Tokyo Olympics loomed on the horizon, Nikhat Zareen found her identity overshadowed by her bold challenge to India’s most revered female boxer, M.C. Mary Kom. Young and determined, Nikhat dreamed of representing India at the world’s most prestigious sporting event—the Olympics. However, her aspirations led to online trolling, name-calling, and intense scrutiny, all because she dared to request a fair trial from the sports minister against the six-time World Champion for a spot in the Olympic qualifiers.
Fast forward six months, when the trials did happen, the boxing ring saw Mary Kom triumph over Zareen in the 51kg category trials, securing her place in the Indian contingent for the Olympic qualifiers. Though the rivalry between the two pugilists ended, Nikhat remained in the shadows, uncelebrated by fans. But that changed dramatically in 2022. That year, she emerged as the new world champion in the 52kg category at the Senior World Championships in Turkey—a victory that placed her on par with Mary Kom.
“I never thought people would take it the way they did, that I would be recognised as the girl who ‘challenged’ Mary Kom. It was just me asking for a fair trial. I didn’t ask them to send me to Tokyo directly; I was just asking them to send whoever wins. For me, it was a big thing facing Mary. I have said in many interviews that I look up to her; she’s a legend and she’s my idol, so why will I want to pull her down so I can rise?” Nikhat had told to #Khabarlive.
In 2023, Nikhat Zareen’s star continued to rise as she successfully defended her title at the World Championships in New Delhi, but this time in the 50kg weight category. With this victory, she joined the ranks of Mary Kom as only the second Indian female boxer to win two World Championship golds.
On paper, Nikhat Zareen may seem to have triumphed over all her challenges, earning the fame and accolades she deserved. But her story is far deeper, filled with more struggles, obstacles than one might imagine.
To truly grasp what makes Nikhat Zareen—a two-time World Champion and Commonwealth Gold medalist—a formidable force in boxing, let’s journey back to her roots:
Born into a middle-class, conservative Muslim family in Nizamabad, Telangana, Nikhat is the third of four daughters born to Jameel and Parveen Sultana. From an early age, she faced societal scepticism for choosing boxing, a sport traditionally dominated by men. Yet, she remained undeterred, bolstered by the unwavering support of her father, who ensured that no amount of criticism could shake her resolve.
As I am a Muslim girl, they didn’t like that I took up boxing. We have to wear shorts and sleeveless tops, and at the same time, boxing is known as a male-dominated sport. So, everyone thought that if I got into boxing, I would ruin my face, and break my hands and legs; so then, who will marry me?
More than my family, I think they were more concerned about my marriage. But my father never allowed those people’s comments to get in my head. He handled all the outside noise. He always told me to focus on boxing and work hard. – Nikhat Zareen
Hailing from Nizamabad, a town with limited sports infrastructure, Nikhat’s natural boxing talent found a nurturing environment thanks to her uncle, Mohammed Samsamuddin. Recognising her potential, he took her under his wing and began training her at the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) center in Nizamabad, using the open spaces available.
Just six months into her training, Nikhat made her mark by clinching the State Championship gold in Karimnagar in 2010. Her burgeoning prowess earned her a spot in the Rural Nationals in Punjab, where she again secured gold. This streak of success continued as she triumphed at the Sub-Junior Nationals in Tamil Nadu. In 2011, she won a gold at the AIBA Women’s Youth & Junior World Boxing Championships in Antalya, Turkey and followed it up with another gold medal at the 2014 Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia.
As the years went by, Nikhat Zareen continued to ascend through the boxing ranks. Competing in the 51 kg weight class, she enjoyed notable successes, including a gold medal at the prestigious Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria in 2019. However, in 2023, Nikhat made the strategic decision to move to the 50 kg category, aligning with the weight class for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Despite the challenge of transitioning to a new weight class, Nikhat thrived. She clinched her second world title in this new category and continued with a bronze at the 2022 Asian Games. She then took home a silver medal at the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in February 2024, followed by a victory at the Elorda Cup.
As she stands on the cusp of her Olympics debut, Nikhat shared with JioCinema how she has been singularly focused on Paris 2024 since the conclusion of India’s Tokyo campaign. Though her bid at the previous edition ended amid controversy, after overcoming numerous challenges and adversities, the 28-year-old is confident that her time has truly arrived.
When India’s campaign in the Tokyo Olympics ended, that day I decided to channel my focus into preparing for the Paris Olympics. I also posted a picture on social media about the countdown to Paris. I think everyone has their moment, and this is my moment. Whoever said I wouldn’t make it to Paris, I finally made it. I’ll take all the negativity and positivity around me positively, try to get better, and come as a different fighter inside the ring in Paris.
After 16 years of relentless dedication and grit, Nikhat Zareen—the face of Indian boxing—is ready for the Paris challenge with a singular, resolute aim: to spare no effort in her quest for Olympic triumph in Paris.
“I’ll try to stay as positive as possible and work harder to leave no stone unturned for Paris.” #hydkhabar
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