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Journalism of Courage
Nikhat Zareen, one of the four challengers for the lone Olympic qualifying spot, has expressed concerns over the fairness of the selection trials, to be held in New Delhi on December 27 and 28. Three spots have already been sealed for the trials and Nikhat is likely to secure the last remaining berth.
At the trials, each weight category will have four contenders. In the 51kg category, three spots have already been decided – Mary Kom (on the virtue of winning a medal at the World Championships), Jyoti Gulia and Ritu Grewal (finalists at National Championships).
The fourth contender was to be chosen on the basis of domestic rankings and performances, and Nikhat is the frontrunner on most counts. However, the 23-year-old demanded that the bouts be televised to ensure there was fairness. It is learnt that the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) intends to conduct the trials behind closed doors, but in-camera. Nikhat said she is ‘worried’ whether the decision will be fair.
“Now I have to prepare for the trails but I want the trials to be televised live on TV and not in close doors so that people can know what happened in the bout,” she said. “The bout will be videographed but it will be under BFI’s custody. I am not worried but still there remains a doubt whether it will be a fair decision. Being a boxer and after going through such troubles you can’t easily trust anyone. I am bit worried whether the decision will be fair or not…”
Nikhat claimed that she couldn’t participate in the nationals as the BFI wanted her to play the IBL. “BFI wanted me to play the league so I didn’t play the nationals and that’s why I am right now the fourth choice boxer for the trails in 51kg. I was told by the BFI to play the league,” said Nikhat. The BFI, on its part, said they will pick the fourth boxer in each weight categories for the Olympic trials on December 21.
“The selection committee including the coaches is scheduled to meet on Dec 21, 2019, to decide the fourth participant in all the 5 weight categories for Women’s Boxing in which trials are slated to take place for the Olympic Qualifiers on December 27 and 28,” the BFI said in a statement. Nikhat and Mary were scheduled to face each other in the Indian Boxing League here on Tuesday but the latter pulled out citing back problems.
