NEW DELHI: India\u2019s flyweight world champion, Nikhat Zareen, says she will be under no pressure playing in front of her home crowd at the upcoming IBA women\u2019s World Championships, scheduled to be held here from March 15 to 26.
In fact, she is confident about defending her World Championships crown in her newly-acquired Olympic weight class of 50kg, following the rejigging of divisions by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for the Paris Games 2024. Nikhat had won the world title in a non-Olympic weight category of 52kg last year in Istanbul, Turkey.
\u201cHad the championships been organised outside India, I would have been under pressure. But since India is hosting the event, I would say I am more confident than ever about defending my title. Playing in front of your home crowd has its advantages. It certainly acts as a confidence-booster. I remember during my CWG final in Birmingham, the crowd mostly consisted of Indian fans. They were constantly chanting my name and that helped me perform better. So, I would certainly say that there will be no pressure on me to perform in front of my home audience,\u201d Nikhat told TOI.
Nikhat said she expects a tough competition in her category because of it being an Olympic weight division. \u201cI don\u2019t know about the draws but it\u2019s going to be very tough. It\u2019s an Olympic weight category and most of the world\u2019s top boxers are coming to compete. Boxers from countries like Turkey, China, Columbia and Ukraine will pose a challenge.\u201d
Nikhat admitted that it was tough to cut down on weights and move down to the 50kg division. \u201cIt\u2019s always a challenge to reduce your weight. It takes a toll on your body. I am a big foodie and love gorging on delicious biryani. That is my weakness. But in my quest for Olympic glory, I have sacrificed biryani. Last time I had one was after the Bhopal Nationals in December. Since then, I haven\u2019t touched it,\u201d she said.
While Nikhat has already decided to gift herself a brand-new Mercedes if she wins gold at the New Delhi Worlds, the boxer from Nizamabad in Telangana sounded disappointed that the event hasn\u2019t been recognised as a Paris Olympics qualifier by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). \u201cIt would have been great if the
Worlds<\/a> had the qualifier status. That would have given us a huge advantage playing in our own backyard.”<\/div>\n