Olympic-bound Pooja hopes to find proper sparring partners in Italy | Boxing News – Times of India
CHANDIGARH: Fresh from a consecutive second gold medal at the Asian Championships in Dubai, Tokyo-bound Pooja Rani is excited to join the upcoming three-week training-cum-competition trip to Italy, where she expects sparring partners matching her potential.
Currently stationed at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, Pooja is hoping to make the most of the training camp at Assisi, where four of the Olympic-bound boxers are expected to reach by June 15.
In an exclusive interview with TOI, Pooja said the tour holds more significance considering there are no more tournaments to analyse her performance in the run-up to the quadrennial event in the Japanese capital from July 23.
“Four of us are going for a training stint in Italy on June 15. We will train there with sparring partners who will be Europeans. During these times of the pandemic, it is very difficult to get proper sparring partners in India, so in that way it will be good for me,” she said.
“There are no more competitions before the Olympics, so foreign exposure with proper sparring partners can be beneficial,” she added.
Reflecting on her recent success at the Asian Championships, the 30-year-old from India’s boxing nursery of Bhiwani in Haryana, conceded that she was initially under some pressure in the final of the women’s 75kg category, considering that was her only bout during the tournament.
Pooja had earlier received a walkover in the semifinals, but dismantled Mavluda Movlonova of Uzbekistan with a clinical 5-0 verdict to clinch the yellow metal.
“Initially there was a bit of pressure, and I made a slow start but after the 3-2 win in the first round boosted my confidence, thereafter there was no looking back for me. But I kept telling myself not to be overconfident and made sure I use all my techniques to get the better of her,” she said.
Going ahead, Pooja expects tough competition from boxers from China, Wales, the Netherlands and Russia in the Olympics. “In my category, there are a number of good boxers, who can be medal winners on their day, and to compete with them, this training camp will definitely keep me in good stead.”
Pooja credited India’s foreign coach Raffaele Bergamasco, for her return to the middleweight category, despite having won a gold in the 2019 Asian Championships in the 81kg (light heavyweight) category.
“When I was making my comeback after the injury and the burnt hand, there was a lot of competition in the 75kg category and then I decided to switch to 81kg, since there are not too many Indians competing in it. After the 2019 gold, Raffaele asked me to get back to the 75kg category, and try myself to qualify for the Tokyo Games, and thankfully I kept his faith,” she said.
Back to her pet category, Pooja now aims for a podium finish in Tokyo. “I will give my 100 percent to see myself on the Olympic podium,” she said before signing off.
Currently stationed at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, Pooja is hoping to make the most of the training camp at Assisi, where four of the Olympic-bound boxers are expected to reach by June 15.
In an exclusive interview with TOI, Pooja said the tour holds more significance considering there are no more tournaments to analyse her performance in the run-up to the quadrennial event in the Japanese capital from July 23.
“Four of us are going for a training stint in Italy on June 15. We will train there with sparring partners who will be Europeans. During these times of the pandemic, it is very difficult to get proper sparring partners in India, so in that way it will be good for me,” she said.
“There are no more competitions before the Olympics, so foreign exposure with proper sparring partners can be beneficial,” she added.
Reflecting on her recent success at the Asian Championships, the 30-year-old from India’s boxing nursery of Bhiwani in Haryana, conceded that she was initially under some pressure in the final of the women’s 75kg category, considering that was her only bout during the tournament.
Pooja had earlier received a walkover in the semifinals, but dismantled Mavluda Movlonova of Uzbekistan with a clinical 5-0 verdict to clinch the yellow metal.
“Initially there was a bit of pressure, and I made a slow start but after the 3-2 win in the first round boosted my confidence, thereafter there was no looking back for me. But I kept telling myself not to be overconfident and made sure I use all my techniques to get the better of her,” she said.
Going ahead, Pooja expects tough competition from boxers from China, Wales, the Netherlands and Russia in the Olympics. “In my category, there are a number of good boxers, who can be medal winners on their day, and to compete with them, this training camp will definitely keep me in good stead.”
Pooja credited India’s foreign coach Raffaele Bergamasco, for her return to the middleweight category, despite having won a gold in the 2019 Asian Championships in the 81kg (light heavyweight) category.
“When I was making my comeback after the injury and the burnt hand, there was a lot of competition in the 75kg category and then I decided to switch to 81kg, since there are not too many Indians competing in it. After the 2019 gold, Raffaele asked me to get back to the 75kg category, and try myself to qualify for the Tokyo Games, and thankfully I kept his faith,” she said.
Back to her pet category, Pooja now aims for a podium finish in Tokyo. “I will give my 100 percent to see myself on the Olympic podium,” she said before signing off.
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