Boxer Preeti Sai Pawar has been a strong force ever since her emergence at the elite level not so long ago.
Despite being away from competitive action post the Paris Games for an extended period, she boasts an impressive CV — Asian Games bronze medal, World Cup medal. Add Commonwealth medal to that list as she became the first Indian to confirm a medal in-ring — Lovlina Borgohain was assured of a medal without throwing a single punch — in the ongoing edition with a spectacular victory.
Making her debut at the quadrennial event, Preeti started her sojourn in a spectacular fashion, overpowering helpless Deborah Mtenje of Malawi in the Round of 16 stage at the SEC Hall on Sunday. It was such a one-sided affair that the referee was forced to stop the contest (RSC) in the second round.
On Tuesday, the 22-year-old southpaw put up yet another clinic against Nicole Clyde of Northern Ireland to march into the 54kg semis, thereby assuring herself at least a bronze medal.
The event is far from over, but this is a significant medal for her. Not so long ago she had endured a difficult phase in her life following the 2024 Paris Games. She had been staring at uncertainty after health concerns that kept her out for an extended period. In fact, she had been bedridden in Germany for a brief period. Small things that we take for granted had become a challenge.
Boxing had taken a backseat and her focus was on her health. It was painful, frustrating but she stayed patient and never gave up. "It was quite a difficult time. She had to endure tough moments but she didn't lose hope and she gradually recovered and now with the good wishes of everyone and with God's will, she is again at a position of strength," Vinod Kumar, her coach and uncle, had told this newspaper after her successful return during the World Boxing Finals.
Regaining health was one thing, getting back to competitive status was another task. The Army boxer had to regain her power and strength. There were no shortcuts and it was a slow process but she kept at it.
Her persistence and sacrifice has now been paying off. After making a winning return at the World Cup Finals late last year, she went to capture the national crown earlier this year before going on to land another gold medal during the Asian Championships at Ulaanbaatar.
The way she has turned things around is simply incredible. In fact, that has been her life story ever since she picked up the gloves in 2017. She was once considered to be too frail for the sport and gruelling training sessions had tested her will on a daily basis.
"I used to make her undergo a lot of conditioning exercises and she used to cry sometimes. But despite that, she didn't give up and she eventually improved," Vinod had once recalled.
Priya fights back
Just a few minutes later, Priya Ghanghas also marched into the semifinals with a win over Niamh Mitchell of Scotland.
Priya had to dig deep to get her hand raised. She was trailing after the opening round but made an impressive comeback in the next two rounds to seal the win by 4-1 verdict.