Fresh off her Asian Championship triumph, Preeti Pawar is brimming with confidence. The women’s 54kg boxer has already turned her focus on upcoming tournaments, including the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

Preeti draws confidence from her recent run, where she was tested against some of the continent’s best, including Aeji Im, 2024 Paris Olympic medallist, in the semifinal and three-time boxing world champion and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Huang Hsiao-wen in the final.

In conversation with Read, the Asian Games bronze medallist opens up about her toughest opponent, Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova, favourite bouts, and the dream that continues to drive her forward. Edited excerpts:

You defeated Aeji Im (in semifinal) and Huang Hsiao-wen (in final), two big opponents. How significant is the Asian Championship gold for you?

These two matches were very important for me because I will most probably get these two opponents in the Asian Games as well. So, I was excited for both these bouts to see how I would perform and execute my game plan. It was very important for me to understand their game plan as well, so that I can prepare well for the Asian Games.

What’s your strategy going into tournaments, especially when you face such experienced players?

Champions who beat me champions have distributed (You become a champion only by defeating them). So, it remains in my mind that if my opponent is a champion or an Olympic medallist, I have to defeat them and move forward. Obviously, there will be tough opponents in between. I just have to give my best and perform well.

How do you handle pressure in high-stakes bouts at important tournaments?

Whenever there is a pressure situation, I keep myself mentally calm. I do a lot of breathing exercises. We have a psychologist with us. He helps a lot with muscle relaxation.

Any bout that stands out for you personally?

Recently, there was a semi-final bout in the World Cup Finals against Chinese Taipei. It was a very important bout for me. Overall, my Asian Games quarter-final bout against Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova, I personally love that bout. I consider her my idol, and I am a big fan of Shekerbekova.

I really like her style of play. So, when my Asian Games bout came up against her, I was nervous as she is a very good boxer. But when I came back from the bout and reviewed my bout, I felt I applied good technique. So, I will always remember that bout. I considered her my idol and performed well against her.

You have tasted success at Asian Games before, how do you review your chances at the CWG and Asian Games?

For CWG and the Asian Games, I just have to focus on my training. I will give my best and try to win both the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

You come from the ‘hub of boxing’ Bhiwani. What makes you the proudest?

I think it is the Paris Olympic phase. There were ups and downs at that time. But I fought there. I fought with good opponents. So, that phase is the best for me.

How has JSW Sports contributed to your journey as a boxer?

If we are physically strong but mentally weak, we can’t perform well. We need to be mentally and physically strong to perform well. JSW has played a key role in that, be it training or mental health.

I am able to track my full body from how much sleep I get? What do I need for recovery? How much load can I take in this session? If I continue to train and don’t recover, I might get injured. I might get mentally stressed. My team is always with me.