“Why have you put her in boxing?” people asked Nikhat Zareen’s father, Mohammad Jameel, when she was a young girl interested in boxing. Who will marry her if it’s a men’s sport (mardon ka khel hai)?” “Beta, you focus on boxing,” her father told her, “and when you do well, the same people will come and ask for photographs with you.”

On May 19, she achieved her goal when she won the Women’s World Boxing Championships in the flyweight (52 kg) division in Istanbul. As congratulatory messages and requests poured in, Nikhat (25) couldn’t sleep a wink that night.

Nikhat, who became only the fifth Indian woman to win the championship, spoke about her struggles in a conservative society, how people mocked her decision to box as a girl, and how she had to fight both inside and outside the ring to achieve her dream in an online interaction with The Indian Express Idea Exchange on Friday.

“I come from an orthodox society where girls are expected to stay at home, work at home, get married, and take care of their homes. My father, on the other hand, was an athlete and knows what it’s like to be a pro athlete. She stated, “He has always been there for me and has always supported me.”

Her mother, Parveen Sultana, agreed, despite being surprised at how brutal the sport could be. Nikhat returned home with a bloody face and bruised eye after her first sparring session with a boy.

“She shivered as soon as she saw me.” ‘I didn’t put you in boxing so that your face would be ruined,’ she began to cry. She went on to say that no one would want to marry me. ‘Naam hoga toh dulhe ki line lag jayegi,’ I told her not to be concerned (Once I make a name for myself, there will be a queue of grooms for me). She’s gotten used to it now. When I get hit, she casually tells me to apply ice and that everything will be fine. “I feel like she’s turned into my coach now,” she said.

Nikhat began her professional boxing career in 2009, winning the youth world championship in 2011, falling in the quarterfinals of the senior world championship in 2016, and now winning the gold. “Winning an Olympic gold medal for my country is my dream, my goal.” “I’m working very hard to achieve that goal,” she stated.

She also cited her shoulder injury and the events that followed as the event that shaped her as a boxer and motivated her to pursue her dream.

“I think I wasn’t mature enough before my shoulder injury.” I learned a lot after the injury. Because most of my friends did not even message me or ask how I was doing, I discovered who my true friends were. However, I kept a positive attitude and worked diligently. “I made my comeback in 2018 and took some time off before winning gold at the Strandja Memorial in 2019,” she explained.

Nikhat, a Salman Khan fan, said she enjoys watching Hindi films. In response to a question, she stated that she would like Alia Bhatt to play the lead role in a biopic about her. “I’d like Alia Bhatt to play me.” Usko bhi dimple aata hai, whereas mere ko bhi dimple aata hai (Because she has got dimples and so do I). So I suppose she can play me,” she explained.