‘Dar kis liye?’ Preeti Pawar’s fearless approach leads to World Cup Finals Gold

Greater Noida: Olympian Preeti Pawar made a memorable return to the international circuit, winning the gold medal in the 54 kg category at the World Boxing Cup Finals.

The ruthless young boxer lit up the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium with her powerful, attacking display, a performance that rattled even three-time World Champion Huang Hsiao-wen of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.

When asked about her fearless approach, Preeti told the media with pride, “Jab choose hi kar liya hai boxing, toh dar kis liye?” (When you’ve already chosen boxing, what’s there to fear?)

Beating an Olympic and World Medallist

Preeti quickly became one of the fan favourites in Greater Noida because of her aggressive style and relentless close-range combinations.

She used the same strategy against Huang, who was much taller. With limited reach, Preeti had no choice but to close the distance and prevent her opponent from using her height advantage.

“Today, I was extra motivated because I had nothing to lose. I gave my best and showed that you can beat World and Olympic medallists,” Preeti told TheBridge after her semi-final win.

She admitted she was nervous in the opening round, but once she found her rhythm, she stuck to her plan and dominated the contest.

Preeti carried this momentum into the final as well, defeating Italy’s Sirine Charabbi, who was so impressed with Preeti’s performance that she applauded her after the bout.

Fight against Hepatitis A

Preeti revealed that she had been hospitalised during the pre-Olympics training camp in Germany after being diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Despite that setback, she still pushed herself to compete in Paris.

She began her Paris Olympics campaign with a win but then narrowly lost 2–3 to Colombia’s Yeni Arias in the next round, despite showcasing sharp, fearless boxing.

After that, she spent months in recovery. She returned to competition at the BFI Cup last month and then qualified for the World Cup Finals, her first international tournament since Paris.

“I struggled a lot with endurance, but I focused on my comeback and recovery. Now I’m fully fit and happy that I can give my 100%,” Preeti said, speaking about her battle with the illness.

Preeti’s fearless approach, inside and outside the ring, marks her as one of India’s top boxing prospects. Battling through illness and returning even stronger underlines her resilience and hunger.

This was just a small roadblock in her career, one that has only strengthened her resolve as she prepares for the major competitions ahead.