Would have quit trying at Worlds if I didn't win medal at Liverpool: Pooja Rani

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Seasoned boxer Pooja Rani had decided that if her fourth appearance at the World Boxing Championship ended without a medal, she would not give it another shot.

But as luck would have it, the Bhiwani boxer can dream again. The 34-year-old Tokyo Olympian finally stood on the coveted World Championship podium in the 80kg category in Liverpool.

"Even this time I had told myself, if I don't win, I won't try again," Pooja told PTI.

"I always give my 100 per cent, so losing feels disheartening. But I trained at full tilt for the last four-five months, and I'm glad it has paid off. I had been in proper training since the Nationals in March." Her breakthrough came with a gritty quarterfinal win over Poland's Emilia Kotereska. The four-time Asian Championships medallist eventually bowed out in the semifinals, losing to local favourite Emily Asquith, but walked away with a well-deserved bronze.

"I'm so happy. This was my fourth World Championship, and the first time I've won a medal. It feels special," she said with a smile.

Pooja's career has been a story of resilience. A shoulder injury some years ago and burnt hands just before a major tournament threatened to derail her career but the 2014 Asian Games bronze-medallist always fought back.

She had been in peak form ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, winning consecutive Asian Championships titles in 2019 and 2021. But Tokyo ended in heartbreak with a quarterfinal exit in the 75kg division.

Life threw further challenges her way as she lost her father in 2022, and although she competed at the Worlds that May, she decided to take a break soon after.

In early 2023, she got married, before returning to the ring later that year to claim the national title.

But opportunities were scarce, with Olympic bronze-medallist Lovlina Borgohain already securing the 75kg qualification slot for the Paris Games.

"After Tokyo, I was shattered. I felt I had given everything. That's when I thought, 'Enough, I'll rest for a bit now.' I've been boxing since 2009. I took some time off, just enjoyed myself.

"But the break stretched longer than I had planned. Looking back, I feel I wasted a couple of years of my (professional) life. If I had kept training, things could have been different," Pooja, who has spent the last one year shuffling between 75kg and 80 kg categories, reflected.

Pooja has made a rousing start to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle.

She stood on the podium at both international events she entered this year, winning silver at the Kazakhstan World Cup in July in the 80kg division, a non-Olympic weight class.

With the 2028 Games in mind, the Bhiwani boxer is already considering a switch. "I'm still thinking of moving down to 70kg," she revealed. PTI APA PM APA PM PM