Preeti Pawar has had an eventful week following her triumph in the 54kg category at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The 22-year-old boxer is now juggling a steady stream of interview requests, congratulatory messages, and photo opportunities. Upon her arrival in Delhi, she, along with her fellow boxing medalists, was honored in a meeting with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, MoS Sports Raksha Khadse, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Once back home in Bhiwani, Preeti finds herself engrossed in yet another wave of celebrations, but she remains enthusiastic about the attention.
Event Context
“This competition is incredibly challenging, as competitors can expect to face world-class boxers in each round. We particularly need to prepare for boxers from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, given their technical skills and significant power,” she noted.
In addition to these two Central Asian powerhouses, the tournament will feature fierce competition from countries such as China, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and the host nation, Japan. In the 2023 event, Chinese boxers excelled in the women’s division, clinching four out of six gold medals and also securing a silver. Notably, they reached five of the six finals in the women’s category.
She cited her Commonwealth Games final against Canada’s Scarlett Delgado as an example, where she won by a unanimous decision. “Her skills were far more impressive than the score suggests,” Preeti remarked. “In the first round, she was skillfully reading my strategy and evading my punches. So, I had to adjust my tactics in the subsequent rounds. Being adaptable is crucial in boxing, which is why I invest time with my coaches to analyze opponents and develop alternative strategies. My goal is to become a well-rounded boxer.”
Team Analysis
Preeti is set to attend the upcoming national camp in NIS, Patiala, starting August 10. This training session will bring together an 11-member boxing team targeting the Asian Games, consisting of five female and six male athletes, as they work towards their medal goals.
Match Outlook
The entire boxing team was optimistic about surpassing our previous best medal count at the Commonwealth Games (CWG), but the number of gold medals we actually secured was beyond our expectations. Much of the credit goes to our coaches, who meticulously prepared us for each opponent.
With less than 50 days until the Asian Games in Japan, Preeti is already focusing on the upcoming challenges. Having earned a bronze medal at the last Games in Hangzhou, she knows maintaining her readiness is crucial.
Preeti’s class at 54kg was dominated by North Korea’s Pang Chol-mi, who later clinched an Olympic bronze in Paris. At those Olympics, Asian countries captured 14 out of 24 medals, while India remained medal-less.
In Hangzhou, Preeti was among three Indian women boxers to medal. She secured a third-place finish, complemented by bronze from Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and silver from Lovlina Borgohain (75kg).
Reflecting on her experience, Preeti said, “The Asian Games provided invaluable lessons. I observed the strong belief some boxers had. Although we all prepare rigorously, not everyone enters the ring with a winning mentality. This time, I plan to be even better prepared and aim to improve my medal color.”
Preeti is also ambitious about not stopping at the Asian Games; she intends to carry this momentum into the 2028 LA Olympics to secure another medal.
Recent Olympic performances have been underwhelming for Indian boxers, with only a single bronze from Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) in the postponed Tokyo Games of 2021.
“To succeed at prestigious events like the Asian Games or the Olympics, you need to be an all-around boxer,” Preeti emphasized. “Many believe that landing power punches will impress the judges, or they may box from a distance out of fear of being hit. It’s a strategic sport; a successful plan A doesn’t always guarantee victory.”
