NEW DELHI: For Gunjan, the road to an Olympic dream began with a newspaper feature on Neeraj Chopra. The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist’s historic achievement inspired the Haryana teenager to believe that she, too, could represent India and win an Olympic medal. Five years later, she has taken her first major step towards that ambition, becoming the first Indian woman boxer to win gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.The 17-year-old returned home with a historic gold after defeating Algeria’s Bouthaina Bensalah 5-0 in the women’s 48kg final. Her victory, alongside L Ambekar Meetei’s gold in the men’s 50kg category, helped India achieve its first-ever double gold in boxing at the Youth Olympics.Interestingly, Gunjan had not played any sport before Chopra’s triumph at the Tokyo Games. And while the javelin thrower’s success sparked her sporting ambition, it was boxing that eventually caught her attention.“I was not playing any sport at that time. I saw Neeraj sir featured in a newspaper. That’s when I thought, maybe I can do this too. I tried, and it worked out,” Gunjan told PTI upon her return to Delhi.There was no elaborate thought process behind choosing boxing over other disciplines. She simply developed a liking for the sport after watching different games.“There is no specific reason for that. I mean, I had watched all the games, so I don’t know why I liked boxing. So I took up boxing.”
Parents’ sacrifices, a comeback against British rival
Behind Gunjan’s breakthrough has been the unwavering support of her parents, who made considerable sacrifices to ensure she could train regularly.“My parents have supported me immensely. Taking me to training every day and bringing me back, morning and evening, used to get very late. Waking up early in the morning in the cold, my mother used to drop me every day, and my father used to drop me too. There is a lot of struggle by them behind me,” she said.Her path to the gold medal was not without challenges. In the semifinals, Gunjan faced Great Britain’s Lily Bassett, the boxer who had beaten her in the final of the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok.This time, however, the Indian had a plan. Having identified Bassett’s uppercut as a major threat, her coach made her work specifically on countering the punch during training.“My coach made me practise a lot against the uppercut, and because of that, it did not have much effect this time,” she said.Gunjan won the semifinal 4-1 before producing a dominant performance against Bensalah in the final, with all five judges scoring the bout in her favour.“There was some pressure beforehand, but not during the bout. During the bout, I just thought that I had to give my best,” she said.The Class 12 student, who is pursuing Arts, also manages to balance academics with her demanding training schedule.“As for studies and sports, well, when exams come around, I study, take the exams, and pass,” she said.
Asian Games , Commonwealth Games and Olympics next
Having made her mark at the youth level, Gunjan is already looking ahead to the senior category, which she will enter after a year. Her ambitions now extend to the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and, ultimately, the Olympics.“Right now, I have thought about the senior category, because after one year I will move up to seniors. I have planned for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics,” she said.For Gunjan, though, the journey from being inspired by Chopra’s Olympic gold to winning a historic Youth Olympic title is only the beginning. The teenager now has her sights firmly set on the biggest prize of all.
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