- As the saying goes, there is sunshine at the end of the tunnel, which holds for the Indian sporting scenario too looking at some of the recent outcomes. We know that India as a nation has never been a sporting powerhouse save for cricket. Cricket as a sport is followed in much lesser countries than popular sports like Football, Tennis, gymnastics, and some such disciplines. In comparison, countries like the USA, China, Australia, the UK, and South Korea have always performed spectacularly in the world’s biggest sporting area, including the Olympics.
PC: Vax Before Travel
- Of course, the Indian cricket team has succeeded in grabbing the desired attention of countrymen owing to awe-inspiring triumphs over the years. No wonder, cricket continues to gain popularity and is rightly touted as no less than a religion in India. Agreed, there have been very few and far in-between successes in the international forum for India to brag about. Thus, the nation rejoices whenever athletes like Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra exceed expectations by winning much-coveted gold in Shooting and Javelin Throw in the Olympics Games.
- Yes, Indian sportsmen are showing tremendous promise in shooting, weightlifting, and wrestling just to name a few. Recently, the Thomas Cup annexation by Team Badminton against the champion side like Indonesia did provide an opportunity for the countrymen to celebrate vociferously. Now, after an underwhelming performance at the Tokyo Olympics, Indian boxing’s hopes have been single-handedly restoked for the Paris Games by the pugilist Nikhat Zareen. The Nizamabad-born boxer has delivered the country’s first World Boxing Championship gold in 16 years, other than all those won by incomparable Mary Kom.
PC: KARAN KAUSHIK
- Note that her biopic was the very first film that Nikhat watched in a cinema hall but the legend’s long shadow is something she has battled too. Obviously, that’s in the past now as Nikhat can cheerily crow about who should lead her own biopic. Her triumph over injuries and self-doubt will be an inspiration to girls to take up the sport against various odds. Nikhat is very candid about belonging to a community that expected her to stay at home and worried about how they would marry her off if she got bruised. However, her parents steadfastly stood behind her to ensure she pursues her dreams.
- A new hero or is it heroine is born for sure. It was revealing to see the pugilist at the press conference after becoming World Champion disarmingly confessing that trending on Twitter has also been a dream of hers. Of course, not everyone who tweeted congratulations would have bothered to actually watch her dazzling 5-0 finals. Needless to mention, the only surety of sticking in India’s sports imagination, unless you are a cricketer, is an Olympic medal. That should be Nikhat’s bigger dream from now on.
