Steeling women to find control in the ring
Preeti Pawar’s comeback puts her among India’s leading Asian Games hopes
Indiadailyupdate.com – Preeti Pawar has rebuilt her confidence, sharpened her tactical discipline and emerged as one of India’s most compelling medal prospects ahead of the Asian Games. The 54kg boxer’s recent Asian Championships triumph, achieved against a demanding field, has strengthened her belief that she can challenge the continent’s best on a larger stage.
Her progress has been defined not only by victories, but by the way she has handled difficult moments inside the ring. At the Senior Asian Championships, Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova gave Preeti a brutal introduction to the tournament. Bazarova’s movement and combinations repeatedly found their target in the opening round of the bantamweight contest, which she won 5-0.
For a boxer under pressure, a poor first round can quickly unravel a contest. Heavy shots can disrupt rhythm, unsettle footwork and make a carefully prepared strategy difficult to follow. Preeti was told clearly from her corner that she had to take the second round to stay in the fight.
She responded emphatically. Preeti claimed the next round with such authority that one judge scored it 10-8. The southpaw then sustained that momentum in the final round, turning a precarious situation into a statement victory. Once she settled into range, her performances became increasingly assured through the tournament.
Wins that changed the outlook
Preeti’s route to the Asian title included wins over South Korea’s Im Aeji, a Paris Olympics bronze medallist, and Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-wen, a three-time world champion and Olympic medallist. Those results have given added weight to her standing in the 54kg division.
She will also arrive at the Asian Games after adding Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow to her record. India’s women’s boxing team enjoyed a particularly productive final day in Glasgow, winning five of the seven gold medals available and contributing significantly to the overall medal count.
The Asian Games offers five women’s boxing weight categories, and the competition is expected to demand consistency across every round of the draw. For Preeti, the prospect is familiar rather than intimidating. Several of the likely rivals are opponents she has faced recently, allowing her to enter with practical knowledge of their styles as well as confidence from previous meetings.
“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.
Her immediate targets are important, but Preeti views them within a longer journey toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Paris Olympics in 2024 had presented a difficult chapter. She arrived as one of India’s promising talents, but still relatively inexperienced at the international level. A bout of Hepatitis A before the Games depleted her energy, and her campaign ended in the round of 16.
The aftermath tested her resolve. Preeti found it hard to restore her confidence and later lost her place in the Indian team to Sakshi Chaudhary. Rather than allowing that setback to define her, she returned to training and gradually reclaimed control of the 54kg category.
A more composed boxer
At the Army Sports Institute in Pune, Preeti has trained with experienced coaches and strong sparring partners. The work has been directed at improving physical strength, defensive awareness, reactions and decision-making during high-pressure exchanges. Her recent success, including the World Cup Finals victory at home, reflects a boxer who has become more measured without losing her attacking intent.
“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.
Md. Aitesaamuddin, part of the Indian team’s coaching staff and also one of her coaches at ASI Pune, saw the importance of the adjustment against Bazarova. The instructions between rounds were designed to change the tempo of the fight: show greater energy, move back when needed, counter effectively and force the Kazakh boxer to deal with more pressure.
“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.
He believes Preeti’s development since Paris is visible in the details. Her improved fitness has helped, but the bigger change has been her ability to avoid unnecessary rushes, defend with greater control and use movement more intelligently.
“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 against familiar opponents
Im Aeji represented one of Preeti’s most important recent tests. The South Korean is a technically skilled southpaw, and Preeti acknowledged the pressure of preparing for an opponent with a similar stance. Yet she made the stronger start, taking the first round 5-0 and maintaining control through the bout.
“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 experience. Preeti has beaten her at both the World Cup Finals in India and the Asian Championships, evidence that her plans against the Chinese Taipei boxer have been effective.
“I have faced her twice and my gameplan has worked against her,” says Preeti.
Her approach remains focused on execution rather than the pressure attached to a podium finish. The mindset helped her before the Commonwealth Games and will guide her again in 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 focus could prove crucial. Preeti’s recent resurgence has added depth to a renewed Indian women’s boxing challenge, while her own journey illustrates how quickly fortunes can shift in elite competition. She has experienced the frustration of a difficult Olympic campaign and the challenge of winning back a team place. Now, with recent victories over accomplished opponents behind her, she enters the next major test with a clearer game and greater control.
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