Steeling women to find control in the ring
Preeti Pawar’s comeback has put her at the heart of India’s boxing hopes
Bharatmorning.com – Preeti Pawar’s path to becoming one of India’s leading medal prospects has been shaped by difficult rounds, missed opportunities and the ability to reset when a fight appears to be slipping away. The 54kg boxer will head into the Asian Games with a major Asian Championships title behind her, growing confidence in her tactics and a clear long-term target: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Her recent rise has also become an important part of a wider lift for Indian women’s boxing. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, India’s women collected five of the seven available gold medals, strengthening the country’s overall tally on the final day. The Asian Games will offer only five women’s weight divisions, making every draw, bout and tactical decision especially significant.
A fight that changed direction
One of Pawar’s most revealing performances came in her opening contest at the Senior Asian Championships against Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova. In the first round of their bantamweight bout, Bazarova’s speed and movement caused serious problems. Pawar struggled to land cleanly, while the Kazakh boxer connected repeatedly and took the round 5-0.
For a boxer, that kind of start can quickly unravel a contest. Heavy punches can disrupt balance, blur decision-making and make a carefully prepared plan feel distant. Pawar was told in her corner that she needed the second round to remain in contention.
She responded emphatically. Pawar won the next round with such authority that one judge scored it 10-8, then maintained her momentum in the final round. The southpaw found her distance, applied sustained pressure and turned a precarious situation into a victory.
That recovery became a marker of the composure she has developed. It was followed by wins over formidable opponents, including South Korea’s Im Aeji, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist, and Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-wen, a three-time world champion and Olympic medallist.
Those results helped Pawar secure the Asian title and reinforced her standing ahead of the Asian Games. She has also added Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow to a growing list of achievements.
Paris setback to renewed control
The progress has not been straightforward. Pawar arrived at the 2024 Paris Olympics as one of India’s most promising young boxers, although she was still relatively inexperienced on the international stage. Hepatitis A shortly before the Games affected her energy levels, and her Olympic campaign ended with a round-of-16 defeat.
Returning from Paris was difficult. Her confidence dipped and she later lost her place in the team to Sakshi Chaudhary. Yet the period also became the foundation for a significant rebuild. Training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, with coaches and strong sparring partners around her, Pawar gradually improved both her conditioning and her technical approach.
Her recent ascent has included victory at the World Cup Finals on home soil, followed by her command of the 54kg category. The difference is visible not simply in the results but in her ability to make adjustments during a bout rather than relying only on attack.
“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.
“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.
Her coaches have seen the same shift. The focus at the Army Sports Institute has been on improving fitness while refining her movement, defence and responses under pressure. Rather than rushing forward and committing too early, Pawar has become more selective about when to attack and when to counter.
“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, a coach with the Indian team who has also trained her at ASI, Pune.
“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.
Confidence built against elite rivals
The Asian Games will bring another demanding test. Pawar expects that several of the opponents she met at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar earlier this year could again stand in her way. Asia contains many of the sport’s strongest boxing nations, and the competition leaves little room for a slow start.
Still, recent victories have given Pawar practical evidence that her plans can work against high-level opponents. Her win over Im Aeji carried particular value because both fighters are southpaws and Im is known for her technical ability. Pawar began strongly, taking the opening round 5-0, then kept the pressure on throughout the contest.
“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, but Pawar has beaten her twice: once at the World Cup Finals at home and again at the Asian competition.
“I have faced her twice and my gameplan has worked against her,” says Preeti.
For Pawar, medal expectations will not replace the process that has carried her back into contention. Her approach before the Commonwealth Games was to concentrate on execution rather than become preoccupied with the podium, and she intends to carry the same mindset 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.”
That outlook may be her most valuable asset. Pawar’s recent story is not merely about winning titles; it is about gaining control when the ring becomes chaotic. With experience against Olympic medallists, improved defence and a steadier response to pressure, she enters the next stage of her journey better prepared for the demands ahead.
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