Bhiwani: Pooja Bohra, a 29-year-old boxer from Haryana's Bhiwani district has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by defeating her opponent from Thailand Pornnipa Chutee by 5-0.
A five-time national champion, Pooja Bohra's journey in this sport was not an easy one. With her father being against her boxing, she always used to look out for opportunities to train herself. She met her coach Sanjay Shyoran during college days who moulded her into a professional boxer. Her coach also convinced her father and encouraged her to play the sport.
Realising that boxing is her true calling, Rani went for her first Youth National Championship and won silver, proving her potential to her father and other family members. She won silver in the 60kg category at the National Youth Boxing Championship in 2009 in the 60kg category. Two months after her first win, she defeated one of Haryana’s leading women’s boxing champions Preeti Beniwal, in the state championships.
Pooja also won silver in the Asian Boxing Championship in 2012 and silver at the Arafura Games held in Australia.
She also clinched a bronze at the 2014 Asian Games in the 75 kg category and later went on to win the gold medal in South Asian Games 2016.
Her coach expressed happiness over Pooja's qualification for the Olympics. "She has always been hard working and it is a result of her passion that she has represented the country on international platforms," he said.
Pooja's family also hopes that she will bring laurels to the country in the Olympics. "We are proud of her and we believe that she will bag a gold medal in the upcoming Olympics," her father said.
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