'You can't expect to be at your peak throughout the year. We too are human beings.'
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 Çakiroglu 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 said 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 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games to get seedings and qualify."
Nikhat said any boxer or athlete can't always remain at their peak and need to pick and choose competitions to keep themselves fresh.
"You can't expect to be at your peak throughout the year. We too are human beings. In Paris I was at peak, but unfortunately, I got a tough draw. It's past, and now I am focussing on LA Olympics. I am going step by step.
"My focus now is on the World Cup as the gold medal winner will get 300 points, silver will get 150 and bronze 75 points. My effort would be to collect as many points as possible so that I get a good seeding.
"We need to be calculative in selecting competitions. We need to select competitions which have got more points, like the Asian Championships in January which has got 800 points. We need to plan that.
"Now the BFI (Boxing Federation of India) is planning to hire a new HPD (High Performance Director), who will make the programme," she added.
A total of over 140 elite boxers from 18 nations, including three Olympic medallists, will participate in the World Boxing Cup Finals.
India will be represented by a strong 20-member squad -- 10 men and as many women, headlined by former world champion Nikhat (51kg), reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), reigning world champion Minakshi (48kg), two-time Asian champion Pooja Rani (80kg), former world champion Saweety Boora (75kg), and world championship silver medalist Nupur Sheoran (80+kg).
The men's contingent features an exciting mix of youth and experience, led by Hitesh (70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), both medallists from the earlier World Boxing Cup stages this season.
The Indian team also includes Jadumani Singh (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin (60kg), Sumit (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Naveen Kumar (90kg), and Narender (90+kg) in the men's section, and Preeti (54kg), Parveen (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (65kg), and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) in the women's draw.
The prestigious event will feature three Paris Olympic medallists -- Aeji Im of South Korea and Wu Shih-Yi and Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei -- alongside multiple World Boxing Championships and World Cup gold medallists from around the world.
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