Over the last decade, boxing has spread across India from traditional powerhouses like Haryana and Punjab. Several new centres have come up, ranging from the northeast to down south. Nizamabad, in Telangana, is one such city, away from the fold, that is making waves in the country's boxing ecosystem.
Nikhat Zareen, the two-time world champion, is the most famous exponent of the sport from the city which was once a key area in the dominion of the Nizam of Hyderabad. A lesser-known boxer from Nizamabad is Mohammed Hussamuddin, youngest of six brothers - four of whom are seriously into boxing.
