Glasgow, July 31 (IANS) Indian boxer Preeti Pawar opened up about the gruelling process of weight cutting before the crucial bout after securing her spot in the women’s 54 kg final of the Commonwealth Games, describing the process as tough as the players don’t get to eat but stating that it motivates her to progress further and win the medal.
Preeti Pawar became the first Indian boxer to book a place in the final on Friday, defeating Zambia’s Catherine Mwape 5-0 in the women’s semifinal. She will face Canada’s Scarlett Delgado in the final.
Reflecting on the tough preparation required ahead of crucial bouts, Preeti shared, “It is a part of our training. It motivates us. It is a little tough because we are not able to eat food properly. But it motivates us that we are one step away from the final.”
The semifinal victory followed another impressive performance in the Round of 16, where Preeti advanced after the referee stopped the contest in the second round against Malawi’s Mtenje and a dominant unanimous decision victory over Nicole Clyde of Northern Ireland in the quarterfinal.
In the semifinal, both Preeti and Catherine started evenly, but the Indian quickly took control using her sharp jabs and strong lefts. Mwape was forced to take her first standing eight-count. Mwape kept pushing forward, but Preeti stayed calm and outmanoeuvred her. After landing several sharp combinations and a solid right hand, Preeti forced two more standing counts on the Zambian.
Preeti moved smoothly around the ring and landed clean body shots to handle Mwape’s aggression to secure the win.
The win in the semifinal guaranteed her at least a silver medal. “I am very happy that I have secured a silver medal for India. I will give my best tomorrow in the final bout. I will win the gold for India. There is a lot of support from the Indian Army, BFI, SAI and JSW Sports.
Preeti, who became the first woman athlete in the country to be directly inducted into the Indian Army at the rank of Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) last year, also expressed her gratitude to the Indian Army for their continuous support. “I am very grateful to the Indian Army. They chose me, and I will give my best. I will make all Indians and soldiers proud,” she added.
–IANS
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