CHENNAI: Jaismine Lamboria put on a boxing clinic late on Wednesday, a thorough act that has guaranteed her a medal at the ongoing World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. Her opponent, Mamajonova Khumoranobu of Uzbekistan, was left chasing shadows as the 24-year-old Indian breezed into the semifinal stage with a comprehensive victory.
More importantly, the Bhiwani girl's medal-winning campaign indicates she has evolved over the last year or so.
After narrowly missing out on a medal in the preceding edition in front of home support in New Delhi, her immediate future seemed uncertain. That's when she switched to the 57kg category — she was plying her trade in lightweight (60kg) — and that decision, in a gradual manner, has been paying off. Despite a crushing defeat in the opening round of 2024 Paris Games, Jaismine has had a different energy this season so far.
She was adjudged the 'Best Boxer' after sweeping the field during the national championships at Greater Noida in March. She had backed that up with a golden outcome in the second stage of the Boxing World Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan. Now, she's raising the bar at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. It's a big step-up given that the Worlds is just second behind the Olympics, considered the Holy Grail of amateur sports.
What's compelling is Jaismine, who's a distant relative to boxing great Captain Hawa Singh, might have been living a regular life in her hometown right now if not for her uncles — Sandeep and Parvinder. Jaismine's late grandfather, a former wrestler, was against the idea of her getting into combat sports. It was the duo who took it upon themselves to help her take up the craft. Sandeep is naturally stoked to witness Jaismine climbing the ladder, solidifying their decision to back her when the environment was far from ideal.
"I have also played in various competitions but unfortunately, I couldn't be a medallist. The things that we couldn't achieve, if our children do that, the amount of happiness a mother and a father can feel, that's the kind of happiness I'm feeling at the moment," Sandeep told The New Indian Express.
It was Sandeep and Parvinder, both former boxers who have participated in multiple international competitions, who handed her the foundation in the sport and they continue to be her pillars of support. Sandeep, who works for Haryana Sports Department, said they had worked on adding more firepower in her game in the last 12 months or so. "She used to be totally defensive earlier and her attacking game was bare minimum. We made her focus on the attacking side as her defensive game was solid. Now, it's 50/50 (attacking and defense)."
Attacking game aside, Jaismine had also been adding strength in the build-up to the games. "We had looked at her body competent — strength, endurance, speed, agility. Each boxer has their strengths and weaknesses. Some are very agile, while some are lightning fast. We felt she lacked strength and asked her to train daily in order to improve that aspect of her game. Even the coaches at the national camp had similar feedback and they also had set routines for her," Sandeep said.
Jaismine, who's supported by Olympic Gold Quest, has made headlines in the past as well, medalling at premier competitions like Commonwealth Games (2022), Asian Championships (2021). But she has shown signs of hitting another level this year. Sandeep is not surprised and feels she has a high ceiling.
"She's God-gifted. The first time I saw her, I had felt that she could achieve great things. I felt she could go to a high level. From the start, we had envisioned her to reach the Olympics and win a medal. So far, she has achieved the first step, I'm sure she'll medal in the next Games. I feel she is still around the 60 per cent mark. I think she can be in the circuit for at least 10 years or so."
Filled with pride and happiness, Sandeep hoped Jasmine's late grandfather would be smiling upon them. "He's no more now but wherever he is now, he could be watching. Whatever decision we took, it's paying off and we're very happy about it."
Having come so far, the Indian will be hoping to go the distance. But her next test, scheduled to be held on Friday, could potentially be her hardest as she will be up against Omailyn Alcala of Venezuela, who has beaten two Paris Games medallists in her last two bouts.
Whatever the outcome, the semifinal promises to be an exciting bout.