Nikhat Zareen: BI Fernandez’s Pick For Paris Olympics Medal

Long-time boxing coach Blas Iglesias Fernandez is throwing his support behind Nikhat Zareen to secure a medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The 68-year-old Cuban, who has been instrumental in transforming Indian boxing since his arrival in 1990, believes Lovlina Borgohain also has the potential to win, but emphasized  “only if she shows killer instinct.”

Fernandez, the sole foreign coach to have ever received a Dronacharya award, has returned to India after being appointed by the Sports Authority of India as the High-Performance Coach for a two-year term. He is now stationed at the National Boxing Academy in Rohtak, Haryana.

Speaking recently at the multinational camp for junior boxers at the SAI’s National Centre of Excellence in Rohtak, Fernandez assessed India’s prospects for the upcoming Summer Games.

During a recent discussion on the sidelines of the multinational camp for junior boxers at the SAI’s National Centre of Excellence in Rohtak, Fernandez provided an assessment of India’s prospects at the upcoming Summer Games.

The highly esteemed coach, who has mentored legendary boxers such as Dingko Singh, Vijender Singh, Sarita Devi, and Mary Kom during various periods of his tenure with India, expressed confidence that India has the potential to secure “at least two medals” in Paris. Fernandez specifically highlighted Nikhat Zareen (50 kg) as a strong contender to claim one of these medals.
“I love the boxing (style) of Nikhat. She is very intelligent. She has good ring tactics. She knows when she is winning and when she is losing,” said Fernandez to SAI Media, highlighting the two-time world championships gold medallist, Fernandez emphasized that she is a boxer who consistently maintains control over her bouts.

Following the Tokyo Olympics, 26-year-old Lovlina faced challenges with her form. Transitioning from the 69 kg to the 75 kg division proved to be a daunting task. Lovlina did not secure a podium finish at the 2022 World Championships or the Commonwealth Games. However, despite these setbacks, the tall Assam native clinched her ticket to Paris by winning the gold medal at the 2023 World Championships and the silver medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Nikhat (50 kg) and Lovlina (75 kg) are part of the quartet of Indian women boxers who have secured berths for the July-August Summer Games in Paris. Joining them are Preeti Pawar (54 kg) and Parveen Hooda (57 kg). Notably, Lovlina claimed a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Fernandez remains hopeful that India’s male boxers will also qualify for the Paris Games. The outcome will largely hinge on their performance in the upcoming second and final world qualifiers set to take place in Bangkok from May 23 to June 3. With up to 51 Paris quotas available, Indian boxers have the potential to secure an additional nine spots for Paris.

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