Greater Noida: Some losses take a while to get over. Nikhat Zareen has replayed her defeat against China’s Wu Yu at the Paris Olympics countless times, pondering what she could have done differently in the ring that day.

It’s taken her months to move past that disappointment, but now the two-time world champion is gearing up to return to the competitive scene this year. The news that boxing will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has reignited her motivation.

“People were saying there wouldn’t be boxing in the LA Games, and I thought my dream of winning an Olympic medal was gone. But now I feel like I have another shot to represent India at the Olympics and achieve my dream,” Nikhat shared during the women’s national championships.

After recovering from a minor injury, the 28-year-old is training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, aiming for a comeback by May. She has her sights set on the World Championships in September and the World Cup in India later this year, hoping to secure her third world title.

“After the Paris Olympics, I resumed training but experienced some knee pain. An MRI revealed a minor injury, and the doctor advised me to undergo rehab for 3-4 months. I completed that in Hyderabad. I’m feeling good now and have been training at ASI Pune since January. However, to regain my competitive fitness, I need to work on my ring endurance, and I plan to be back in May,” she explained. She will be sitting out the nationals.

It's great to finally have some clarity about the international boxing calendar and its future. I wasn't feeling any pressure to return, but now that boxing is back on track with an international federation, it feels like a significant step forward and a fresh experience. I'm really looking forward to the World Championships and the World Cup.

Losing to Wu Yu, the gold medalist, in the Round of 16 in Paris was a real surprise. I just didn’t seem to find my rhythm.

You can't just brush off a defeat like that. You have to accept it and put in more effort during training. That's the mindset I've adopted.

I've reviewed the match, and I noticed several mistakes. There were moments when I thought, "If I had thrown that punch, it might have landed." But the reality in the ring is different. When you're in the moment, your body and mind react in unexpected ways. My fight was in the morning, and I didn't recover well. I was up against one of the best, and my energy just wasn't where it needed to be to compete at that level. All I can do now is train harder and focus on improving.

Outside the ring, I really enjoy the attention and feel proud to be alongside 2008 Beijing Olympics medalists like Vijender Singh, Manoj Kumar, and Sarita Devi.

Anamika and Nitu are moving forward

On the second day of the elite women’s nationals, Railways boxer Anamika Hooda made a powerful entrance into the 50kg quarterfinals with another impressive victory. The national champion delivered strong punches against Manasa Veni Anakapalli from Andhra Pradesh, leading to a referee stoppage in the first round. She had previously secured a similar win (RSC) against Sikkim’s Prava Gajneer in the opening round.

Nitu Ghanghas and Jaismine Lamboria also advanced with standout performances at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex. World champion Nitu triumphed over Rajasthan’s Anjali Choudhary (45-48kg), while Jaismine, competing for SSCB (Services), dominated Uttar Pradesh’s Ice Prajapati with a 5-0 score.

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