Nikhat Zareen bags Olympic quota and medal

Nikhat Zareen secured a Paris Olympic quota place by reaching the semifinal of the Asian Games on Friday, a just reward for the indomitable boxer who missed out on the Tokyo Games. The 27-year-old has come a long way since pleading for a "fair trial" for a shot at competing at the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers four years ago. The Telengana boxer is now a two-time world champion, Commonwealth Games champion and an Asian Games medal winner.

Earning an Olympic quota was Nikhat's top priority at Hangzhou. On Friday, she achieved that by cantering to the (50kg) semifinals with a first round RSC (referee stops contest) win over Jordan's Nassar Hanan. "I'm really happy to have won this quarterfinal and achieve the Olympic quota. I was looking to get the Olympic quota. Now I have got it, finally, and I am looking forward to winning that gold medal," she said after the win.