Greetings, wishes pour in for Nikhat Zareen

Hyderabad: Wishes poured in for the new champion, Nikhat Zareen, who won the gold at the Women's Boxing World Championships in Turkey on Thursday.

Hailing from Nizambad district, Nikhat's father, Mohammed Jameel Ahmed, is a football and cricket player. Her mother, Parveen Sultana, is a home-maker. Nikhat is third among four sisters.

Jameel said "I wanted one of my four daughters to pick up a sport. He picked athletics for his third daughter, Nikhat Zareen. At 14 she was crowned the World Youth Boxing Champion and looked destined to be a major force. "But there was never a moment when we thought of giving up," he said. Nikhat's family recalled that the Rs 50-lakh cash incentive handed over by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in 2014 was a huge gesture. The Sports Authority of India in a tweet congratulated Nikhat Zareen for winning the gold. It appreciated her for becoming the new champion.

Roads and Building Minister V Prashant Reddy announced Rs 1 lakh cash award to the world boxing champion from his native Nizamabad district. Tourism and Sports Minister V Srinivas Goud congratulated Nikhat and wished her great success in her sports journey. Senior BJP leader and MLA Eatala Rajendar greeted Nikhat for achieving a milestone in her sports career. "Her success will inspire many girls in pursuing sports as career in the coming days", he said.