Preeti's powerful punches: Behind calligraphy and hangouts lies an Olympic medallist hunter

Boxers have hard hands. Preeti Pawar too has a tough pair of hands. Tough enough to take down the best boxers in the world. But she can also use those hard hands for a few soft skills, like some beautiful calligraphy, which is what the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist likes to do in her free time. However, free time is a luxury that elite athletes rarely get.

A busy calendar awaits the 54kg Indian star who, like every athlete, dreams of hearing her country's national anthem at the Olympics. She has already featured in the Paris Olympics and is now eyeing to do well in the next edition in Los Angeles. However, in looking so far ahead, the 22-year-old is not losing sight of what is in front of her.

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2026 is an important year for boxers. The Asian Championships just took place. The Commonwealth Games are coming up and soon it will be the time for the Asian Games.

Flying past the Asian Championships hurdle

The Asian Championships was the first big challenge of the year for Preeti and she had some of the best in the world up against her. Her idol Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova, Tokyo 2020 medallist Huang Hsiao-wen, 2024 Paris Olympic medallist Aeji Im, all these stalwarts stood between her and the gold medal. And yet she defeated all of them to grab the gold.

"Overall, it was a good experience. Some bouts were tough and I was confident that I would do my best. At times, there was pressure as to how tough the opponent would be and whether I would be able to do well," the boxer tells Firstpost in an exclusive interaction. "But I handled it well and was mentally strong. I gave my best in the ring and performed well."

The toughest fight for the Haryana-born boxer at the Asian Championships came in the semi-final against Aeji Im.

"For me, the semi-final bout was tough because my opponent was from South Korea. She had just won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. It was a challenge for me as to how to give my best and win the bout."

Preeti passed the first big test of the year with flying colours, but now bigger challenges await. Already a bronze medallist at the Hangzhou Asian Games, this time she will be aiming for an upgrade on that.

"Everyone has high hopes. Last time, I won a bronze medal. This time, I will try to change the colour of the medal and I'll give my 100% for that. We are doing good training. The national camp will start soon. I am travelling there."

The youngster currently trains at the Inspire Institute of Sports, founded by JSW, and will be participating in the national camps next. She says the dream is to do well in the Olympics, but for that, she needs to earn her stripes at the Asian and Commonwealth Games first.

"Olympics is the dream. We are preparing for the Olympics in Los Angeles (but) the most important thing is that I play the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. So that I get more exposure and experience. So that I don't make mistakes in LA and give my best," she declares.

The bittersweet taste of Paris Olympics

The 22-year-old had also participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she could only register one win there before bowing out. She reveals that she had fitness issues going into the Paris Games, but still relishes the experience of her maiden Olympics.

"It was a good experience for me. I learnt a lot from there. Before the Olympics, I fell ill. I lost a lot of fitness, but still I performed there and played two bouts. It was a good experience for me to perform on such a big stage.

"At the start, I felt the pressure. It was the biggest stage for an athlete. (I thought) How does it feel to perform there? How will it go when so many people will be watching me? So there was a lot of pressure.

"But when I went there for the bouts, I liked it a lot. There was no pressure at that time. When I went to the ring, I had in my mind that it is the same scenario that I perform daily. It was the same ring where I perform daily. So, I learnt a lot from there," the boxer from Haryana recalls.

While her Olympic debut was marred by illness, she considers herself lucky that she is not injury prone. The credit for this, she says, goes to IIS.

"I have not been injured yet. I am thankful to the IIS for that. We ignore small things. Athletes have to face injuries. I am glad that this has not happened to me yet. I have received a lot of support from the IIS," Preeti says. She also states that training at IIS has helped her get better thanks to the availability of best coaches and top infrastructure.

Calligraphy and friends: Preeti's two pastimes

Preeti also opened up about her quieter side, revealing a love for calligraphy and a keen eye for detail, often spending hours analysing both her own performances and her opponents through video footage.

"Whenever I feel low, I do a video analysis with the coach. So that I don't overthink about the opponent. So that I can see my plus points. So that I feel more confident. I also do visualisations and breathing exercises. Which are very helpful in controlling the pressure," she says.

"Whenever I am free, I like to do calligraphy. So that I feel good. I also like going out with friends whenever I get free time. To just hang out with them," she says when asked about how she frees up her mind from pressure.

Talking about her journey from a small town in Meham in Haryana to the biggest sporting cities of the world, Preeti says she gets emotional at times seeing how far she has reached.

"I started boxing in 2017. I started boxing in Meham, Haryana. My basic coach is my uncle. He helped me start boxing..." Preeti recalls. "When I started boxing, I wanted to play in the Olympics. But now that I have played in the Olympics, I am on this platform. Sometimes I feel like crying when I think about it. But I feel proud that I am at this stage. I never thought I would get here eight years ago."