Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen undergoes successful knee surgery, vows strong comeback

NEW DELHI: Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen has revealed that she successfully underwent knee surgery and is now focused on making a strong comeback.

In a post on Instagram, Nikhat said that she underwent knee surgery after months of battling pain, thanking her doctors at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and her sponsor, Reliance Foundation Sports, for their support. Expressing faith and determination, she said her recovery has begun and vowed to return stronger than ever.

“Life threw me a curveball, but I’m choosing to come back stronger. The past few months have been tough, dealing with a knee pain that eventually led to surgery. Recovery starts now, one step at a time, with patience, faith and determination. A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the entire team at Kokilaben Hospital and my sponsor @RFYouthSports for their incredible care and support. I believe Allah is preparing me for something greater. This is just a pause, not the end. I’ll be back soon. Stronger than ever”, she wrote in an Instagram post.

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Notably, two-time world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nikhat Zareen missed out on selection for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after suffering a surprise defeat in the national trials in Patiala in May.

Nikhat’s campaign at the national trials ended in the semifinals after she suffered a surprise 4-1 defeat to Sakshi Chaudhary, who went on to clinch the women’s 51kg title by beating reigning 48kg world champion Minakshi Hooda 5-0 in the final. Minakshi had defeated former world champion and Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medallist Nitu Ghanghas in the semifinals.

Although Hooda clinched gold in the 48kg category at the Asian Boxing Championships, the weight class does not feature in the programmes for either the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games. As a result, Minakshi moved up to the 51kg division, where her campaign ended with a defeat to Sakshi Chaudhary. (ANI)