Steeling women to find control in the ring
Preeti Pawar’s rise in the 54kg division is built on resilience
Bharatmorningnews.com – Preeti Pawar has emerged as one of India’s leading medal hopes for the Asian Games after a striking comeback that has reshaped her confidence, technique and standing in the 54kg category. Her recent Asian Championships title, combined with Commonwealth Games success in Glasgow, has underlined the progress of a boxer who has learned to respond when a contest begins to slip away.
That quality was tested immediately in her first Senior Asian Championships bout against Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova. In the opening round of their bantamweight contest, Bazarova’s sharp movement and repeated scoring punches left Preeti behind on all five judges’ cards. The Indian boxer was missing more often than she landed, and the contest was in danger of getting away from her.
For a boxer, a difficult opening round can quickly disrupt everything: balance, timing, confidence and the tactical plan prepared before the bell. Preeti was told clearly from the corner that she had to claim the second round to stay in contention.
She responded emphatically. Preeti seized the second round with such authority that one judge scored it 10-8. Fighting from the southpaw stance, she sustained the momentum through the final round and turned a troubling start into a decisive victory. Once she established the right distance, she began to dictate the exchanges rather than react to them.
Confidence earned against elite opponents
That tournament brought tougher tests and more meaningful victories. Preeti beat South Korea’s Im Aeji, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist, as well as Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-wen, a three-time world champion and Olympic medallist. Those wins helped her secure the Asian title and offered evidence that she can compete with some of the strongest boxers in the continent.
She also arrives at the Asian Games after adding Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow to her growing list of achievements. The combination of recent results has placed greater attention on her prospects, but Preeti’s long-term focus remains firmly fixed on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Her road since the Paris Olympics has not been straightforward. Preeti went into the 2024 Games as one of India’s promising young talents, though she was still relatively inexperienced at the highest international level. Hepatitis A before Paris depleted her energy, and a last-16 defeat left her struggling to rebuild her self-belief. She subsequently lost her place in the team to Sakshi Chaudhary before producing an impressive return.
Her current run reflects the work done at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, where she has trained with experienced coaches and strong sparring partners. The gradual improvements have helped her strengthen both her physical base and her control inside the ring.
“Boxing is both a physical and mental sport. We have to be mentally strong and sharp so that we can quickly react and defend punches,” Preeti says.
For Preeti, the central lesson has been learning to remain composed in difficult moments instead of allowing pressure to determine her choices. Her recent bouts have shown a more patient approach, particularly when opponents use speed, reach or quick combinations to create early advantages.
“I have worked on my reaction skills, and most importantly on how to stay calm in the ring in pressure situations. When we face a tough opponent, there is pressure and it will always be there. What makes the difference is how we control it during the bout so that it doesn’t affect our performance. I have been working on every front, I don’t want to leave anything to chance for the LA Olympics,” she says.
A changed approach in the ring
Md. Aitesaamuddin, part of the Indian coaching staff and one of the coaches who has worked with Preeti at the Army Sports Institute, saw the change clearly during the Bazarova fight. The instructions between rounds were to raise her intensity, use backward movement before countering and apply more pressure to the Kazakh boxer.
“She was a bit slow in the first round. We asked her to show more energy, step back and counter, and put more pressure on the Kazakh boxer. We told her, ‘If you don’t win this round, it will be over for you.’ The next two rounds she was fantastic,” says Md. Aitesaamuddin.
The coach believes the period after Paris required patience. Recovering focus took time, but targeted work at Pune has helped Preeti reduce the tendency to rush forward and attack indiscriminately. Her defence has become more secure, her footwork has improved, and she is better placed to make tactical adjustments during a bout.
“It took her some time to regain focus after Paris. In ASI, we have worked on her fitness. She used to rush and attack, now she has improved her defence, she is not going all out, and her movement in the ring is better,” says the Army coach.
The Asian Games will present another demanding stage, with leading boxing nations from across the region expected in the competition. Preeti may again encounter rivals she faced at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar earlier this year, but familiarity with their styles has strengthened her belief.
Her win over Im Aeji carried particular significance. Both boxers are southpaws, and Im’s technical ability posed a tactical challenge. Preeti began that bout strongly, taking the first round 5-0, then continued to keep the Paris Olympics medallist under pressure.
“Asian Games will be tough because some of the top boxing nations will be there. But the Asian Championships gold has given me a lot of confidence. I have competed against them recently. To beat the Paris Olympics medallist (Im Aeji), who is a good technical boxer and also a southpaw like me, was big. I was under a bit of pressure against her as to how I would box, how to cover, but I started well in the first round with a 5-0 card and kept her under pressure throughout.”
Huang Hsiao-wen presents a different challenge because of her height and international record, yet Preeti has beaten her twice: at the World Cup Finals in India and again at the Asian Championships.
“I have faced her twice and my gameplan has worked against her,” says Preeti.
Rather than becoming consumed by medal expectations, Preeti has adopted a performance-first mindset. It was the approach she used before the Commonwealth Games, and it is the one she intends to carry into Japan.
“Before the CWG, I told myself that I would focus on the performance and not on the medal. It will be the same in Japan.”
Her revival also forms part of a wider lift for Indian women’s boxing. At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, India’s women won five of the seven gold medals available, providing a major boost to the overall medal count on the final day. With only five weight categories at the Asian Games, the margins will be tight, and success will depend on navigating the draw as well as delivering under pressure.
For Preeti, that pressure is no longer simply an obstacle. It has become a part of the contest she is learning to manage—one round, one adjustment and one measured response at a time.
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