Parveen Hooda: After the win, peoplegot loads of churma for me

She may have just bagged a bronze medal at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, but Haryana-based Parveen Hooda dreams of only a gold finish! The athlete, who was recently in Delhi for a felicitation ceremony, talks about her future games and how she’s eyeing the Olympic gold.

“Right now, I am gearing up for Commonwealth Games and then there’s Paris Olympics in 2024. Paris jana hai aur gold leke ana hai. These are my focusses right now. I believe that if we keep faith in ourselves, even the almighty will help us out,” says the 22-year-old.

Talking about the grand reception she got, after the win, back at home in Rohtak, she shares, “Gaanv mein sabko pata hai ki mujhe churma kaafi pasand hai. So there were many people who got tiffin boxes filled with loads of churma for me.”

Even though her training requires her to maintain a healthy diet, once in a while, she does indulge in Delhi’s delicacies when in town. “Mujhe Delhi ke momos, burger bahut achche lagte hain. But I try my best to control, and indulge only once or twice a month. Anyway, I spend most of my time in the stadium for training (when in Delhi),” she shares. Ask her how she finds the people of the city, and she replies, “Dilli ke log bahut achhe hain. I find them really helpful and sincere.”

Becoming an athlete and winning laurels for the country requires great dedication and sacrifice. The same is true for Hooda, who reveals seeds of her dream to be a boxer were sown when she was fairly young. “Main 11 saal ki thi, tab se boxing kar rahi hun. I have always been a dedicated individual, be it at boxing or my studies. Even in school, I used to be elected as the class monitor. When I entered this sport, I did it with all my head and heart in it,” she says.

So what was the young athlete’s experience at the Women’s World Boxing Championships like? She shares, “This was my first major competition at a senior level. So there was a lot of pressure. I kept watching previous match videos of all the contenders. They were all very accomplished. But once I stepped into the ring, there was no pressure. I just got into my natural zone and gave it my all.”

Hooda, whose facial resemblance to actor Fatima Sana Shaikh as Geeta Phogat in the film Dangal (2016), is quite striking, says the comparison only inspires her to do better: “Jab Dangal aayi thi toh mujhe log bolte the, ‘Tu toh picture wali Geeta jaisi hai’. Some people would even say that I remind them of Vijender (Singh; Olympic medal winning boxer). Mujhe kaafi achcha lagta hai jab log aise bolte hain. Since the beginning, I have considered Singh and Mary (Kom; boxer) as my idols. I had just started training when they were winning medals for India. So they have always inspired me.”

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