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Pooja defeated career-threatening injuries, financial issues to reach Olympics, says Bhiwani boxer’s father
Bhiwani boxer Pooja Rani Bohra, 30, entered quarterfinals in the 75kg weight category of the Tokyo Olympics after defeating Algeria’s Ichrak Chaib 5-0 in her opening bout on Wednesday
Bhiwani boxer Pooja Rani Bohra, 30, entered quarterfinals in the 75kg weight category of the Tokyo Olympics after defeating Algeria’s Ichrak Chaib 5-0 in her opening bout on Wednesday.
She is one win away from securing at least a bronze medal in the ongoing Olympics. She will take on China’s former world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Li Qian on August 31.
Before reaching the international podium, Pooja’s initial days of boxing were full of struggle. Her coach Sanjay Singh Sheoran, who runs Captain Hawa Singh Boxing Academy in Bhiwani, said she was first spotted by his wife Mukesh Rani, a lecturer at Adarsh Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Bhiwani when she got admission in bachelor’s degree in 2009.
“Pooja’s father Rajbir Singh Bohra, who is a retired Haryana Police SI, did not want her to pursue boxing as he thought she might get injured. She used to stay at our home with my wife when she got some punches on her face. Later, we told her father about her potential and then he agreed. She used to train for six hours a day,” Sheoran said.
“Her competitors are good and well-prepared boxers. A single mistake can take the game away from her. I have asked her to focus on her strengths. We are hoping that she will bring laurels to the nation,” he added.
Her father said he was pushing her to get married for nearly five years but it was deferred after she requested the family to give her some time.
“We were looking for a groom for Pooja, but she requested for a couple more years so that she can perform better at international levels. Now, we are hoping that she will clinch gold,” her father added.
Sharing challenges faced by Pooja, he said she battled a career-threatening shoulder injury, a burnt hand and lack of financial support before making it this far.
Hailing from Nimriwali, 9km from Bhiwani, Pooja used to cycle to Captain Hawa Singh Academy in the initial days. She is presently posted as an income tax officer in Delhi. In 2012, she had joined the Indian Railways as a clerk.
“Before pursuing boxing, she used to play basketball and football. I asked her to quit the team game and start single-event game. When she defeated a Haryana Police boxer in 2010 in an event in Bhiwani, hundreds of people from our village had gone in tractor-trolleys to cheer for her,” he added.
