Boria Majumdar in Paris
She was in tears, and understandably so. Months and years of effort, and it had all ended after the crushing loss. “For two days, I did not eat anything or drink water even,” said Nikhat Zareen. “I did not sleep at night. If you don’t eat, how will sleep? If I had won, all of this would be looked at as positive. Now, people will say I am giving excuses, so I don’t want to say much.”
She was already crying by then. “I tried my best, and now will take a break,” said Nikhat. “I sparred with men, I trained the hardest, but yes, it wasn’t my day today. I will learn a lot and keep trying. Nikhat Zareen is a fighter and she will keep fighting. That’s what is in my hands, and that’s what I will do.”
By then, she had answered all questions the Indian media had for her. And had finished half a bottle of water in exhaustion. And just as she was walking away, she turned to me and said “I hope you will still feed me ice cream. And some chocolates. And a Thums up!” Neither of us could say a word more. She walked back, and started weeping on my shoulder. There was nothing to say. Just nothing. This is what sport can do – leave you stunned.
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In that one instant, Nikhat was not an athlete. I wasn’t media. We were both Indians standing by each other after a crushing loss. We both know she will be back. Sport teaches us how to lose, and Nikhat is one who knows it is never easy. “My coach calls me a tiger because she knows I will never give up and fight like a tiger,” she said even as she wept.
A colleague standing next to me said to her, “Tiger abhi zinda hai [The tiger is still alive].” That was when Nikhat smiled. The only time during the day, and it was a smile of pain. Paris is over for Nikhat, but her journey isn’t. This will make her a better boxer, and she will emerge mentally tougher. We don’t know if boxing will be there as part of the Olympic programme in Los Angeles in 2028. What we do know is that Nikhat will keep fighting, and we will keep cheering. Win or loss, that’s the bond. A very Indian bond.
Coming to the bout, Wu Yu was the faster one and boxed with very good strategy. After she won the first round, which we thought was actually closer, she knew she had the upper hand. That she could control the fight. And when she retained the lead in the second, she totally changed her plan in the third. She was just dancing in the ring and not letting Nikhat attack. The art of evading punches was superb, and it was an exhibition. Nikhat had never fought her and did not know what to do. That was what decided the fight and, to be honest, the better fighter won.
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