–Boria Majumdar
It was the Covid-induced lockdown and the entire country was indoors. Jameel Ahmed, Nikhat Zareen’s father, however, had a completely different worry. Zareen, who was home, was eating home-cooked food and, with little to do, was surfing the Internet all day. “She would put on weight and it wasn’t the right thing to do,” said Jameel. “We had to ensure that even during lockdown, her focus stayed on the world competitions.”
The father-daughter duo soon devised their own plans. She would skip in the morning and train in the afternoons on the terrace. And the routine was as rigorous as when she was in the camp. “With Nikhat, the best thing is that she hasn’t changed with all this media attention on her,” says Bhaskar Bhatt, her coach. “Money and endorsements, which can be huge distractions, haven’t impacted her focus.”
“If you are an elite athlete, it is far more difficult to stay at the top than to just reach the pinnacle,” adds Jameel, as they prepare for yet another training session. “You can win a world title, but then to stay there and win it again is far more challenging. Your opponents know you are the yardstick. Everyone wants to beat you. And when you add media, money, public attention and events to the challenge, it wasn’t easy.
“All I said to Nikhat was to forget everything else. You are here on a mission for India. Focus on the world championships, Asian Games and, finally, the Paris Olympics. That’s when you can rest easy. Things can go away from you as fast as they come if you let other distractions take over. Having said that, I am not one to insist that she wins. All I want is for her to give it everything she has. The results will come.”
For her mother, Parveen Sultana, it has been harder. “Who will like her daughter to be beaten up?” she asks. “Kisi ko achha lag sakta hai kya,” Jameel responds with a smile. “Her mother wouldn’t watch her bouts. Each time she would get hit, her mother would get up and walk away. She would feel scared. Things have changed now. She is the first person to sit in front of the television set and watch Nikhat fight these days. And not only that. Each time Nikhat lands a punch, she screams: ‘Maar maar. Aur maar’. The change is for all to see.”
“As coaches, our job is to keep the athlete in the best shape,” says Bhatt. “With Nikhat, it is easier because she has extreme focus. She knows one world championship or one CWG gold isn’t her ambition. She wants to be Olympic champion. Each time she gets a new endorsement, she speaks of the struggles she has gone through. The bad days. She remembers every single setback and takes strength from her struggles. She won’t stop. Aap dekh lena.”
Speak to Zareen, and you’ll quickly learn how true that is. Not only is she a talented boxer, but she knows that all the fame and money is because she is winning in the ring. “There are many other athletes who are working hard to get here,” she says. “Each of them want to win. So I have to work harder than each one of them. I have to get better. I remember the day when I asked my father why girls don’t take up the sport after seeing a camp in Hyderabad. And I also remember his support. I can’t let my parents down, so nothing that I get now is a distraction.
“Yes, things have become easier. I can now train the way I want. With scientific backing, mental conditioning, nutrition, all being looked after, you know that you can focus on your training and that’s the only thing I need to do.”
Zareen hasn’t forgotten her roots. She hasn’t forgotten the village she has come from. The conservatism in her community that had held her back in her formative years and the struggle to make the national team. Each blow made her more determined. Hardened her from inside. Sharpened her focus. The failure to make the Rio Olympics in 2016 meant she would train a few hours more every day. Losing out on going to Tokyo in 2021 was instrumental in creating the Nikhat Zareen we now see in front of us. Yes, she will meet Salman Khan and do a friendly dance but it all ends there. When she steps into the ring, she is a very different personality. She is the Rocky Balboa of her sport, and she knows the country is watching her.
“I enjoy the pressure,” she tells you. “It is an opportunity to do something for your country. How many of us get this privilege to do something for the tricolour and your own people?” It’s at times like these that you know you are speaking to a very different athlete.
In Nikhat Zareen and Neeraj Chopra, you have role models for the present day. In a country starved of champions, we do a bit more when it comes to our winners. We love to pamper them and go overboard. And then if they fail, we castigate them saying they have lost focus. It is a thin line. The line between good and great. Between silver and gold. Last night Zareen had another opportunity to add to her story. Another step in her already inspirational journey, in front of her home fans in the national capital. And she did not disappoint. With Jameel Ahmed and Parveen Sultana in the stands screaming “Maar”, we were sure she won’t stop.
A different version of this piece was published in the Economic Times.