The Weight of Expectation: Nikhat Zareen's Crushing Defeat Nikhat Zareen, a two time world champion, suffered a shocking semifinal defeat in the recent selection trials for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
Her loss to Haryana's Sakshi Chaudhary was not just a setback, but a stark reminder of the physical and mental toll exacted on athletes by the relentless demands of their sport.
The boxer's candid admission that she had been traveling continuously since January 2025, with little recovery time in between, is a stark indictment of the system that is supposed to support our athletes.