Road to Paris: Indian boxers Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar training for endurance to cope with pressure

Jaismine Lamboria and Preeti Pawar are among boxers who have qualified for Paris Olympics.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) facilitated a press conference with the Olympic-bound boxers in collaboration with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) at NIS Patiala. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has spent a total of 52.78 Cr, out of which 42.50 Cr has been spent for Training and Competiton (ACTC) and 10.28 Cr has been spent under the TOPS and CSR scheme.

Apart from that, 27 exposure tournaments have also been given to the boxers. There also has been a total of 661 days of national camp. 15 athletes have been supported for injury treatment through CAIMS. A total of 56 boxers are supported through TOPS (8 in the core group, 48 in the development group).

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Khel now has the opportunity to attend the press conference and speak with the Pari Olympics-bound Jaismine Lamboria (Women’s 57kg) and Preeti Pawar (Women’s 54kg).

Jaismine won the quota by reaching the semi-final of the World Boxing Qualifier 2 defeating Marine Camara of Mali by a unanimous decision (5-0) to qualify for the Olympics. Preeti Pawar won the quota after winning the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2022. Both the boxers will make their Olympic debut at Paris.

Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Q) Can You tell us about the journey of changing weight from 60kg to 57kg in less time? How difficult was it for you to cut down the weight?

Jaismine Lamboria: Weight can be cut down easily, the problem comes when increasing the weight. So, the weight was cut down easily and it was settled.

Q) Was there any pressure on you before going to Thailand for the second Olympic qualifiers?

Jaismine Lamboria: The pressure was there to reclaim the quota which India lost in the 57kg category.

Q) You are going to represent India at the Olympics, so what aspect are you focusing on in training to ensure that you are in peak condition for the Olympics?

Preeti Pawar: Our main motive is to give our best for the Olympics. For that, we are focusing on training like endurance, strength and technical. We are giving our best.

Q) There were many challenges that you had to face to qualify for the Olympics, how did you overcome these challenges?

Jaismine Lamboria: There were a lot of challenges. I couldn’t qualify for the Asian Games and then the World Olympic Qualifier 1 in Italy. This was the last chance and I had in mind that I had to do it. The main challenge was to keep the focus.

Preeti Pawar: The challenge was to perform better every day and to prove that I am the best.

Q) Tell us about your journey in the last four-five months

Preeti Pawar: After the Asian Games, my focus was on the Olympics. The tournaments which I played were part of the preparation for the Olympic Games. I played in Strandja Memorial Tournament, but I lost there. I played in that tournament considering it as a practice tournament before the Olympics.

Wins and losses are part of the game but the lessons I took from that tournament are important so I can learn from my mistakes and don’t repeat the same in the future. After that, I participated in the Asian Championships and won gold there. It boosted my confidence, and I learnt a lot from that tournament.

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Q) Are you happy with the training programs?

Jaismine Lamboria: The training we are doing will give us a good result. I can see the improvement from the training. We have been following a proper schedule which is given to us by the coaches.

Q) What is your assessment of your game at the senior level and What are the aspects that you will work on in the Olympics?

Preeti Pawar: The World Championships was my first senior competition, and I did well there. I got a lot of confidence from that bout, and I defeated many senior boxers. The more tournaments I started playing, the more confidence increased. I will work on my weakness for the Olympics.

Q) You all will play your first Olympics so what’s your approach to going to the Olympics?

Preeti Pawar: We are representing India at such a high level, so the pressure is there and to overcome the pressure we do meditation. We also have psychologists, and they train us mentally.

Q) How’s the atmosphere in your village now that you have qualified for the Olympics?

Jaismine Lamboria: The young girls are getting the support they didn’t get earlier. Our parents also supported us, and we reached this platform. Similarly, there has been similar support for the young girls. They are also very happy and want to do well.

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Q) How are senior boxers helping you in training and how’s your bonding with them?

Preeti Pawar: Senior athletes have helped and guided us. They also motivate us by saying you can’t win every time, still, you have to give your best and focus on your bout and don’t get demotivated after losing.

Jaismine Lamboria: Senior athletes are quite supportive, and they help us whenever we are not doing good. If we have any doubts, we ask them for advice, and they also help us.

Q) Who is the toughest opponent that you have played in the past tournaments? What will you do to overcome them?

Preeti Pawar: I have participated in world championships and Asian Games and all are good opponents and have qualified for the Olympics. I have also done training and I will also prove myself in the ring and will give my best.

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