The sting of a narrow defeat at the Paris 2024 Olympics has become the driving force behind Indian boxer Preeti Pawar's remarkable resurgence. The 22-year-old pugilist, who suffered a heartbreaking round-of-16 loss, has channeled that pain into a powerful comeback, recently clinching the gold medal in the 54kg category at the prestigious Delhi World Cup.
Paris Heartbreak: The Fuel for a Fighter
For Preeti Pawar, the brightest victories cannot erase the memory of a bitter Paris evening. Her Olympic dream was halted by Colombia's Yeni Macela Castaneda in a close-fought bout. However, that loss was far more than a simple defeat. Preeti had battled Hepatitis A in the lead-up to the Games, a condition that saw her resting heart rate skyrocket to 80-84 BPM from a normal 48-50 BPM and caused severe lethargy. "I fought with all the strength and courage I could muster. That defeat was my best, considering all the struggles," Preeti reflects, showcasing a mature perspective gained from adversity.
This setback, however, planted the seed for a firm dream of redemption at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Observing other elite bouts in Paris, like Janjaem Suwannapheng's victory over champion Busenaz Sürmeneli, taught her valuable lessons in mental and physical preparation. "I understood how a champion could be defeated with the right plan," she says, internalizing the experience for her own path forward.
The Gruelling Road to Recovery and Gold
The journey back to the top was arduous. After Paris, Preeti missed the World Championships in Liverpool and several World Cups as she only joined the national camp in July. She spent nearly six months rebuilding her strength, first at the Meham Boxing Club in her hometown Bhiwani and later at the Inspire Institute of Sport under coach Stuart O'Connor. "Physically I had become weak," she admits, but she approached the challenge without self-blame, deciding to start from scratch.
Her uncle and coach, Vinod Sai Pawar, worked intensively on her endurance, counter-boxing, and side movement. This foundational retraining, combined with her accumulated experience, set the stage for her Delhi World Cup campaign. With the tournament in mind, she practiced five rigorous rounds daily, with Coach Stuart O'Connor honing her tactical footwork and ability to adapt to opponents' strategies.
Conquering Champions on the Path to Triumph
Preeti's path to the Delhi World Cup gold was a testament to her refined skill and strategic mind. She navigated a gauntlet of top-tier opponents:
- Nigina Uktamova: In her first bout, she avenged a prior loss to the Asian Games medallist by employing a smart counter-boxing plan against the attacker.
- Hsiao-Wen Huang: Facing the three-time world champion and Tokyo bronze-winner, Preeti executed a perfect strategy against the taller opponent. She boxed from the back foot, kept her guard high, landed precise punches, and used her movement to tire Huang out.
- Sirine Charaabi: In the final against the World No. 7, Preeti relied on her formidable upper cuts and jabs to secure the victory and complete her redemptive triumph.
Her coach at the Army Sports Institute in Pune highlights her unique strengths. "The 54kg class requires a fine balance between power and speed. She has both," he says, praising her dominance and endurance against taller boxers like Huang. Her devastating upper cut and right hook are considered among the best in the business.
Eyes on the Future: Asian Games and LA Olympics
Buoyed by her World Cup success, Preeti Pawar has a clear roadmap ahead. She sees the 2026 Asian Games as the ideal platform to gauge her progress towards the ultimate goal: Olympic gold in Los Angeles. "Asia sees the world's best boxers in the 54kg category. To win the Asian Games title next year is the target to put me on the path towards the LA Olympics gold," she states with determination.
Her journey from a reluctant 14-year-old put into a boxing academy by her kabaddi-player father to a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army and a world-class athlete is a story of relentless grit. Today, as she awaits the chance to salute her father, a Haryana Police ASI, in her Naib Subedar uniform, the heartbreak of Paris continues to fuel her. For Preeti Pawar, every setback is merely a setup for a greater comeback.
