Greater Noida: Paris Olympian Preeti Sai Pawar has a strong rival in Sakshi Chaudhary in bantamweight (54kg). As Preeti was recovering from illness and the setback of the Olympics, Sakshi — a two-time world youth champion — seized the opportunity to establish herself in the national team with a series of strong performances. She won the World Boxing Cup in Astana last year and later earned selection for the World Championships in Liverpool, edging past Preeti in the assessment at the national camp.
Preeti, having regained her strength and zest for boxing, turned the tables during selection for the India team at the World Cup Finals here. With a gold medal at the season-ending event, Preeti will now be keen to retain her place in the Indian team. The test for both has begun at the ongoing National Championships at the Gautam Buddha University here.
Although both Preeti and Sakshi represent Services, they are competing at the Nationals after the Boxing Federation of India granted automatic berths to medallists from the World Cup Finals. Placed at either end of the draw, if it holds they are expected to clash in the final in one of the most anticipated bouts of the women’s competition.
At the national camp, the rivals are locked 1–1 in the trials, which form part of the overall assessment. Coaches point out that there was little to choose between them with their bouts proving intense contests. The nationals offer both boxers a chance to set the tone for the rest of the year, with significantly higher stakes.
“This year, there are several major tournaments. My target is to compete in the Asian Games, Asian Championships and the Commonwealth Games. That will help me prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics,” said Preeti after a unanimous victory over Shreya on Monday. Sakshi will open her campaign on Tuesday.
“Sakshi is a good competitor and we both represent SSCB. It will be exciting to meet her in the final,” Preeti said. “When you have good competitors, it helps you prepare better for international tournaments. The more punches you take and the more new things you try, the better control you gain over your mind during a fight. Facing strong opponents allows you to review and improve your performance.”
The two boxers possess contrasting styles. Preeti prefers an aggressive approach with powerful punches while Sakshi is more technical, using sharp footwork and long-range attacks to unsettle opponents. Preeti showcased her fighting spirit in November when she defeated world champion and Olympic medallist Huang Hsiao-wen of Chinese Taipei.
“Huang is tall, so we advised Preeti to close the distance, bridge the gap and put her under pressure — and she executed the plan well,” said D Chandra Lal, women’s boxing head coach this year. “Her opponent waited for Preeti to tire but she came back with double the speed. She has developed excellent endurance.”
Sakshi tasted success in Astana by defeating several formidable opponents. “She has crafty movement, but needs to be careful about fouls. In closely contested bouts, mistakes can be costly. She was in a good position at the World Championships until the fouls crept in,” said Lal. “Both boxers are capable of producing a high-quality fight.”
World Champion Minakshi Hooda (48kg), two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) sailed through. Nikhat defeated Nidhi of Chandigarh 5-0 while Minakshi beat Tamil Nadu’s V Lakshaya S Vijayan by an identical margin. Lovlina got the better of Krisha Verma by unanimous decision.
