Sweety is a two-time Asian Championship winner, won bronze medal in Dubai
Jaipur, July 13 (IANS)| Indian boxer Sweety Boora says that she is one of those people who work hard day and night to fulfill her dream. Speaking on Sports Tiger’s new interview series Mission Gold, Sweety said, “I chose boxing because I used to talk very little in school but every time things went wrong, I couldn’t handle it. Bar used to try to convince my comrades, but still they used to answer me back, even then I tried to keep my calm. But still they did not understand, so I used to punch them.
She said, “In 2014 I fell ill with typhoid and had to be hospitalised. At that time they announced that whoever becomes the national gold medalist, only they will be able to compete in the world championships. My doctor told me Advised to take rest but my love for sports pushed me forward and I ran away from the hospital, ran 100 meters, caught the train and fainted in the train. My parents told me to come back but I went to India I was determined to represent and she blessed me to move forward.”
Sweety said, “I had really tough opponents at the World Championships and they wanted to trial for my weight category, because they were sure I wouldn’t win. But the federation had already announced, so they went to trial. Couldn’t. They decided not to take me or anyone in my weight category despite qualifying. Then on the last day they decided to take me and I reached the finals and won silver for my country.”
Like most athletes, the pandemic has been tough for the two-time Asian Championship medalist, most recently winning a bronze medal at the 2021 Asian Championships in Dubai. He said, “We practiced for the Asian Championship 2021 at our homes, although the camp was organized but it was only for the athletes who have qualified for the Olympics. Five girls participated in the camp while five including me. Practiced at our homes. We didn’t expect that we would participate in this tournament as there was a ban on incoming flights due to the pandemic. We got permission at the last minute and I won the bronze medal in the championship.”
She said, “I left the camp and came back because I was not given a chance to participate in Olympic qualifying. I went back home thinking that if I didn’t get a chance to participate in Olympic qualification, I would go ahead with the sport. What’s the use of continuing. I have played at World and Asian level and won many medals. The only thing I don’t have is an Olympic medal. If that was the case then I was ready to play Kabaddi too.”
But still she is very determined to represent India in 2024 Paris Olympics and she said, I am one of those who work day and night to achieve their dreams. I still have three more years to prepare for the 2024 Olympics and I definitely look forward to representing my country in the next Olympics. “All the best to the boxers who are going to represent India at the Tokyo Olympics. This is the first time that five Indian boxers will go straight into the quarterfinals,” Sweety said.