Rousing reception for world champion Nikhat Zareen at RGIA airport

Nikhat Zareen, the newly-crowned world champion in the 52kg category, returned to Hyderabad to a rousing reception with Sports Minister V Srinivas Goud, Sports Authority of Telangana State (SATS) chairman A Venkateshwar Reddy and other association members receiving the boxer at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, on Friday.

The officials also received other Telangana girls Esha Singh and Nizamabad football Guguloth Soumya at the airport. While Esha won three gold medals in team events in ISSF Junior World Cup in Germany, Soumya won the Indian Women’s League championship with Gokulam Kerala Women team.

The three were received by the host of officials and were paraded on an open-top jeep from the airport. Later, Srinivas Goud felicitated all three athletes. “Hailing from a



middle class family from Nizamabad, Nikhat Zareen has become an inspiration to the whole country. None from south India achieved this feat. Nikhat has become world champion. We hope she will win an Olympic medal for the country. Congratulations to Nikhat’s parents as well,” he said.

He also revealed that the State government is supporting the athletes in a big way and planned to construct mini stadia in all the districts to promote the game.

Meanwhile, Nikhat thanked the government of Telangana for constant support for her. “I am very happy to win the world championship medal. My next goal is to win medal at the Commonwealth Games for the country. My focus dream is to win Olympic medal at the Paris Olympics,” she said.