Parveen Hooda won her maiden Asian Games gold medal on Friday, but it was the moment after the final that caught the eye. The Indian boxer had just edged Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin 3-2 in a closely fought 65kg final when the two boxers embraced and smiled at each other. After a hard-fought contest inside the ring, Parveen and Chen shared a warm moment of respect before the Indian celebrated her long-awaited gold.
For Parveen, the victory was about much more than a medal. The 23-year-old’s Asian Games journey has been filled with setbacks. She had won bronze in the 57kg category at the delayed Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, but the medal was later stripped following a whereabouts failure. She was handed a 22-month suspension and subsequently missed the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“After that (whereabouts failure) I was mentally down. Everything was over. I had to start from zero. But I had to make a comeback,” Parveen said. “I can say that this is my second journey but this time I am mentally stronger than before and more mature.”
Parveen also endured disappointment on her return to competition, losing in the quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year. She said the defeat left her in tears, but she quickly decided to use it as motivation.
“When I lost at Commonwealth Games, I cried and cried. Everyone was celebrating. After some time, I thought what’s the point of crying. Let’s do hard work,” she said.
“So next day, I got up, did my strength training.”
GOLD DEDICATED TO HER FATHER
The Asian Games gold also fulfilled a promise Parveen had made to her father, Lakhpat Hooda, who has been battling cancer for four years and also has a heart condition.
When Parveen travelled to China for the 2023 Asian Games, her father was hospitalised.
“When I was going to the 2023 Asian Games in China, my father was hospitalized. So I left him and went crying. He was in a lot of pain,” she said.
Her mother, Neelam Devi, sells milk to support the family.
Parveen said she kept her 2023 Asian Games medal prominently displayed at home, using it as a reminder to win a better one.
“I have kept the medal in the middle of the wall so that every time I see it I will think I will change its colour and bring a gold. It is right in front of me for motivation,” she said.
On Friday, she finally changed its colour.
“The medal of 2023 Asian Games has come back as gold,” Parveen said.
Parveen also revealed that she drew strength from the Bhagavad Gita during the difficult phase of her career. “I thought about the result which is written in the Gita, that is ‘Do karma, don’t worry about the result’,” she said.
The boxer, who is currently an ITBP Assistant Sub-Inspector, now has her sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “There is World Championship next year. I will prepare for it, but after I spend some time with my family. Then, the main thing is 2028 Olympics. I will prepare for it,” she said.
But before looking ahead, Parveen had time to celebrate a gold medal that came after years of setbacks.
And she did so by sharing a hug with the boxer she had just beaten.
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