NEW DELHI:
Nikhat Zareen recent performances in the ongoing private boxing league and her last national ranking recorded in September in the 51kg category have more or less cemented her place as a challenger to MC
Mary Kom in the trials scheduled for December 27-28 at the IG stadium here.
Each weight category will have four contenders.
Jyoti Gulia
,
Ritu Grewal
and Mary Kom have already secured their places in the 51kg category trial. There was a lot of speculation about the fourth spot and, it seems, Nikhat can look forward to challenging the other three competitors.
A
Boxing Federation of India
(
BFI
) source told TOI: "We are very clear about the criteria for the trials to be followed by the selection committee at its December 21 meeting in Delhi. the committee will look at last ranking order of boxers prepared in September for each weight category, boxers' (male and female) performance during domestic and international bouts after September and their showing in the ongoing league. In the 51kg category, according to the last ranking, Mary Kom was No. 1 followed by Nikhat at No. 2. Pinki Rani was fifth. In the league, Nikhat defeated Pinki Rani and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Lorena Ingrit. So, she has a clear edge over others and should be assured of her place as the fourth competitor."
Nikhat and Mary Kom's teams will again clash in the second semifinal of the league on Friday, raising the possibility of a clash between the two boxers. However, Dinesh Pandey, owner of the franchise Mary Kom represents, told TOI that the six-time world champion expressed her inability to take the ring during the semis.
"She is not feeling well, so she will not be competing (against Nikhat) in the semis. She has communicated her decision that she needs more time to recover (from her back injury)," Pandey said. Another BFI source said: "Even if they had met in the semis, the result would have had no bearing on the selection committee's decision."
Nikhat, however, received a "warning" from the BFI on Wednesday for her public outburst against the federation on Tuesday. She was told to concentrate on her boxing career, TOI has learnt. BFI has rejected Nikhat's demand for live televised coverage of trials, saying there has been no such precedent in the past.
Meanwhile, all national boxers - even those participating in the league - have reported at the national camp at the IGI stadium on Wednesday, which got underway on December 15.