Congress felicitates Nikhat Zareen, demands recognition from govt

Hyderabad: PCC chief A. Revanth Reddy and Congress leaders felicitated boxing champion Nikhat Zareen on Sunday, and demanded  due recognition from the state government for the athlete from Nizamabad.

Revanth Reddy presented Zareen with a cheque of ₹5 lakh as a token of appreciation, at an event at Nizam Club.

“I congratulate the family of Nikhat Zareen for encouraging her to take up the sport, which is generally considered to be related to men. I demand that the state government give her due recognition and provide space for setting up a sports academy besides offering her a post as Group 1 officer,” he said.

Nikhat said that such shows of appreciation helped her remain passionate about the sport. “This kind of support to athletes will definitely encourage them to bring more laurels to the nation,” she said.

The Arjuna Award recipient made history at the international level, with her winning streak in 2022. “It was an incredible year for me, winning three consecutive international gold medals and topping them off by winning the Elite Women's National Boxing Championship,” she had said in a tweet on December 26.

The event was attended by Mohammad Azharuddin, Shabbir Ali and Mahila Congress state president M. Sunitha Rao, among others.