CHENNAI: Bhiwani district has produced many champion boxers over the years and the region continues to churn out promising talents. Priya Ghanghas, who's enjoying a fairytale run at the moment, is the latest to join the bandwagon. The pugilist from Dhanana is on the cusp of glory after reaching the finals of the ongoing Asian Boxing Championships at the ASA Arena in Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).
It's a massive run for the youngster, who had started her campaign with a win over a former champion from the continental meet. In her next bout, she upset the former world champ before her latest success against Namuun Monkhor of Mongolia in the last-four stage. Monday's bout was a mismatch as the 60kg pugilist got the votes of all the judges by the ringside.
Someone who has had a big hand in her rise to prominence is Ravi Sangwan, Haryana coach, who had introduced her to the sport a decade or so ago. Interestingly, Ravi, a former national champion, is someone who had also handed boxing lessons to Manu Bhaker, now a multiple Olympic medallist in shooting.
Priya trained under him at Dadri for around seven years before she joined SAI, Bhiwani. More recently, she has been refining her skills at the national camp. Her talent might have taken her to different pin codes but they continue to remain in touch. It's only natural for Ravi, an ex-Armyman, to be thrilled with her latest exploits inside the ring.
"I can't express my feelings at the moment. I'm really proud of her," Ravi, who has shared a room with India great Dingko Singh during his playing years, told The New Indian Express.
"She has had a good potential since her childhood. She was highly dedicated. Her brother is also a good boxer and they used to come for training. They came in 2015. I had opened an academy then — Dadri Boxing Academy. She was fifth or sixth standard then. Both her and her brother would never miss training," the coach, who has trained boxers like Satish Kumar — Tokyo Games quarterfinalist, added.
It might be her first major meet, but the national champion has had a rather smooth run so far. But Ravi said they, including her father who's into business, have faced many obstacles, especially during their junior days. The facilities were basic at the academy then. But what stood out for him was her willingness to put her head down and keep pushing hard.
"She was a fast learner and would never question the coaches. She has an open attitude and tends to grasp new skills on the fly. Boxing was massive for her," he said.
According to the coach, she was visibly superior to her compatriots at the academy and the coach would make her train with the boys, including her brother, instead. Having secured a spot in the final, she is now destined for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, famed events which are scheduled to be held later this year.
But before that her immediate hurdle is the final, where the Railways boxer will meet Un Gyong Won of North Korea. The coach is confident that she can cap off her campaign on a high.
Reigning Olympic champion Lin Yu-Ting, a boxer who was at the centre of a storm at the last Olympics over eligibility (subsequently cleared), was one of the favourites to challenge for gold but she was shown the exit door by Won.
Nikhat, Lovlina lose
Meanwhile, tt was deja vu for Nikhat Zareen (51kg) as she suffered a crushing defeat against a familiar rival — China's reigning Olympic champion Wu Yu while Tokyo Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) also suffered a loss. However, Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) and Preeti Pawar (54kg) won their respective fights to be in contention for the gold medal.
Wu had ended Nikhat's run in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Paris Games before going on to capture gold. Nikhat was the No 1 seed this time around but the bout turned out to be a mismatch as Wu walked away with a dominant victory. All the five judges scoring the fight voted for Wu. It's back to the drawing board for Nikhat, who was making her first appearance at the international level this season.
Lovlina, who had received a bye in the quarterfinals, was fighting for the first time in this edition of the meet. Up against Aziza Zokirova of Uzbekistan, Lovlina suffered a similar fate as the Indian lost by the same scoreline (0-5). This is a telling blow for Lovlina, who had predominantly been in the background last year. Ankushita Boro (65 kg) and veteran Pooja Rani (80kg) also lost their ties.