New Delhi: Two days after her Paris Olympics journey concluded, Nikhat Zareen shared an emotional message with her fans on Twitter. On Saturday, August 3, she vowed to make a strong comeback soon. Describing her loss to China’s Wu Yu as the hardest of her career, Nikhat expressed her desire to accept the defeat with grace.
The IBA World Championship winner entered the Paris Olympics as an unseeded boxer, facing a daunting challenge against China’s gold medal favorite in the Round of 16. Despite her best efforts, she was outmatched in the bout. In her heartfelt note, Nikhat revealed that winning an Olympic medal for India was her greatest dream, making the early exit even harder to accept. As one of India’s top medal hopefuls, her premature departure was a significant blow, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of her journey.
“The Olympic dream I’ve cherished for so long didn’t unfold as I had hoped. After countless hours of training, sacrifices, and unwavering determination, this moment slipped through my fingers. This defeat is the hardest I’ve ever faced; it cuts deep and is almost unbearable. My heart is heavy, but it remains unbroken. I accept it with grace and will do my best to find a way forward in my life,” Nikhat Zareen wrote in her message to the fans.
The Olympic dream I’ve cherished for so long didn’t unfold as I had hoped. After countless hours of training, sacrifices, and unwavering determination, this moment slipped through my fingers. This defeat is the hardest I’ve ever faced; it cuts deep and is almost unbearable. My… pic.twitter.com/qfsWUCwooP
— Nikhat Zareen (@nikhat_zareen) August 3, 2024
“Winning an Olympic medal was my greatest dream, and I fought with everything I had to get here. The Paris 2024 journey was filled with challenges—battling through a year of injury, struggling to reclaim my spot, fighting for the opportunity to compete, and overcoming countless obstacles, all for the chance to represent our country on this global stage,” Nikhat said.
Zareen, the two-time world champion, faced a tough challenge at the Paris Olympics. After a solid start, defeating Germany’s Maxi Kloetzer in the opening round, she was ousted in a one-sided bout by top seed Wu Yu of China, losing by unanimous decision.
Nikhat Zareen faced a tough challenge in the ring, losing the first two rounds by split decision and being completely outclassed in the final round. The bout ended in a unanimous decision, with all five judges scoring in favor of China’s Wu Yu. Despite her height advantage, Nikhat couldn’t break through Wu Yu’s impeccable defense, as Wu skillfully swayed and ducked away from her jabs. Wu, who had received an opening-round bye, appeared fresh and agile, while Nikhat, who had dominated against Germany’s Maxi Kloetzer in the opening round, found herself outmaneuvered and overpowered in the second.
“I’m deeply grateful for the chance to pursue my dream, but destiny had other plans. Not achieving it here in Paris is devastating. I wish I could turn back time and put in even more effort for a different outcome, but that remains a wish,” concluded Nikhat.
Nikhat Zareen was emotional after her Paris Olympics exit as well. Nikhat expressed her disappointment but vowed to return stronger.
“It was a learning experience for me. I had not played her before. She was faster. I will analyse this bout once I am home. I was unseeded, and this wasn’t my first match; she was playing her first, which also impacts. It was an intense bout,” she had reflected.
