Preeti Pawar will represent India in boxing at the Paris Olympics 2024 at only 20 years old. The young boxer will kick off the Olympics with her first bout on July 28 against Vietnam's Vo Thi Kim Anh. She is also the youngest member of this year's Olympic boxing contingent, which also includes two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen, Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal.
Boxer Preeti Pawar Determined To Make Olympic History
Preeti Pawar has achieved significant accolades in her boxing career despite being fresh into adulthood. She was born into a Jat family in Haryana and was reportedly initially reluctant to pursue boxing despite encouragement from her father and uncle, both of whom have athletic backgrounds. Her uncle, Vinod Sai Pawar, a national medallist in boxing, has played a crucial role in her training. He was also the one who fostered her interest and passion for the sport by introducing it to her when she was 14 years old.
Though she has now constructed a highly successful and promising career for herself in boxing, it wasn't always her first love. An article by the Times of India illustrates Preeti's relationship with art and sketching. It describes how though she loved both sketching and boxing, she eventually chose to pursue the sport as a career as opportunities unfolded. Pawar is still dedicated to her art, however, as both her worlds collide with her participation in the Olympics hosted in perhaps the most art-oriented city in the world.
She talked about the relationship between her art and sport in an interview with the Times of India. She said, ''Some people like to do social media or check the net. When I am free, I take out my pens. It helps me stay focused. I drew a sketch of the Olympic torch, which I am particularly proud of, I often look at it to help me retain my focus before the Games.''
Achievements And Olympics 2024
She has previously won silver and gold medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2020 and 2021 respectively, in addition to a silver medal at the Youth Asian Championships in 2021, India Today described.
At the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, which was her debut at a senior boxing level, Preeti reached the pre-quarterfinals.
In the same year, she earned a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. She gained attention at these games with her impressive performance against Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova, who is a three-time World Championship medallist and Asian boxing champion. This particular match led her further into the tournament and secured her a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Preeti is determined to bring home an Olympic medal. Olympic boxing medals have been won by Indians before, but none above a bronze. She will make her Olympic debut with her first bout on Sunday, July 28 against Vietnam's Vo Thi Kim Anh.
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