‘Sports ek tapasya hai’ – Boxer Parveen Hooda’s struggle: 22-month ban, father battling cancer, then Asian Games gold

Parveen Hooda wins gold in the women’s 65kg category at the Asian Games (Image credit: TimesofIndia.com) NEW DELHI: “Sports ek tapasya hai,” says Indian boxer Parveen Hooda as she reflects on the period when she missed the Paris Olympics due to a 22-month ban, dealt with her father’s battle with cancer and finally returned to the ring to win a gold medal at the Asian Games.At 23, Parveen had already experienced the disappointment of losing the Olympic opportunity she had worked towards for years. She secured a quota for Paris when a suspension for three failed residency attempts ruled her out of the Games. She was also stripped of the bronze medal she won at the 2022 Asian Games.Her father, Lakhpat Hooda, was battling stage three throat cancer and heart problems. The family also faced financial problems in the past, her mother Neelam Devi supported the household by selling milk from two buffaloes when Parveen was growing up.Despite the suspension, Parveen continued to train despite having no competition to prepare for. Her comeback culminated in gold in the women’s 65kg category at the Asian Games, where she defeated China’s Taipei Nien-chin Che in the final.“Now when I look back on that day, I feel very proud of myself because I didn’t give up. I continued training. I am thankful to the people who stood by me during this journey,” Parveen told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.“This journey has made me very strong, mentally and physically. I am grateful that I went through this phase because it helped me become a better person.”

The pressure of the Asian Games final

Parveen entered the Asian Games final after defeating opponents from China and Uzbekistan earlier. She was confident in her preparation, but the anticipation surrounding her was hard to ignore.“I was confident because I beat both my opponents from China and Uzbekistan. But there was also a lot of pressure in the final because there were so many expectations on me. Once I got to the final, everyone expected me to win the gold,” she said.

Image credit: Special Editing

It had been a long time since she had competed in the finals at a major event. The prospect of gold brought its nerves.“I was a bit nervous because I was competing in the finals at such a big event after a long time. But beating those opponents also boosted my confidence and my preparation was very good. I felt confident going into the final match. I thanked God and was happy that we had come this far on this journey. I made it to the finals and so many people congratulated me. There were also many distractions outside,” she said.Parveen analyzed her opponent’s match before the final. The challenge was keeping her focused on the fight amidst the activity around her.“My mindset was to put everything aside and focus only on the last fight. I was analyzing my opponent’s fight. It was a bit difficult to focus because there were many people from Boxing Federation of India also there. There were distractions so the main thing for me was to focus.”When the result was announced, Parveen folded her hands and looked at the sky. She then ran to her coach, took the Indian flag and draped it around her shoulders. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she completed the lap of honor.For Parveen, the win came after months of being unable to compete and watching the Paris Olympics from home.

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When a 22-month ban ended her Olympic hopes in Paris

Parveen secured her quota for the Paris Olympics when she was banned for 22 months after three unsuccessful attempts at residency. Under the anti-doping residency system, athletes included in the registered testing pool must provide accurate location information, including a designated 60-minute daily window during which they can be located for testing. A combination of three missed tests or administration errors within a 12-month period may constitute an anti-doping rule violation.Parveen admits that she did not pay enough attention to the requests.“I learned that we take things too casually. Us players usually focus on training, but we don’t always learn enough about these other things. I was also informal about residency and didn’t really learn how it works. We should be educated and knowledgeable about these things. If I’m part of the residency system, I should know how it works. A lot of athletes take these things very casually,” she said.The suspension left her without a clear goal. For someone used to preparing for tournaments, it was difficult to continue the same training routine without knowing when he would compete again.“I needed to be very tough mentally at that time because there was no goal in front of me. Usually in training we prepare for something specific. But at that time there was no goal. The motivation remains very low because you keep asking yourself: ‘Why are we doing this?’ There is no destination in front of us,” she said.

Parveen Hooda with her family members (Image Credit: Special Arrangements)

“My mind didn’t want me to train a single day, but I didn’t miss a single day of training. Somewhere I made a commitment to myself. I believed in myself. I knew I had achieved so much on this journey and I could do it again. I knew the basics and how to get things done. That was my mindset,” she said.Parveen spent more time at home during the suspension. She listened to motivational songs, prayed, recited Hanuman Chalisa and continued working on her boxing.She also tried to focus on what remained under her control.“When the bad times come, that’s when you learn about your championship mindset. You learn how to handle negative situations. I focused more on the things I should be grateful for. I was fit, I had no injuries and my family was fine. I accepted that it was my mistake and I would fix it moving forward. But that didn’t mean I should sit back and stop training,” she added.Watching the Paris Olympics was particularly difficult. Her friends were competing in an event where she expected to represent India.“I was sad because my friends were competing there while I was sitting at home watching their matches. I felt I should have been there and competed. But I never thought of quitting,” she said.

Her father’s battle with cancer hit Parveen during the Asian Games camp

While Parveen worked on her comeback, her family struggled with Lakhpat’s illness. He was diagnosed with stage three throat cancer and also suffered from heart problems.His health affected his ability to work and contributed to the family’s financial difficulties.During the Asian Games, Lakhpat was hospitalized while Parveen was in the training camp. She kept in touch with him through video calls.“I was at the camp during the Asian Games and my father was hospitalized. I felt very bad that I was not with him at that time. I was in touch with him on video calls. A glimpse of him and his smile motivated me,” she said.“I was crying during training and all I wanted was to get my pride back and make my father and mother proud again.The family traveled to various hospitals in search of treatment, including facilities in Chandigarh and Mohali. Parveen was involved in finding medical care for her father and spent time with him during her suspension.“We traveled from one corner to another to take my father to different hospitals. We also consulted doctors in Chandigarh and Mohali. I just wanted him to get well. Fortunately, all our efforts helped improve my father’s health. So it was a good opportunity in a way because I could be with him,” she said.

‘Ahha it’s ok beta’

When Parveen returned home from the Asian Games with a gold medal around her neck, her mother was overcome with emotion.“My mother was very emotional when I walked into the house with the gold medal around my neck. She was with me the whole game and always said, ‘You work so hard.’ She cried a lot that night,” said Parveen.

Parveen Hooda with her father, mother and brother (Image Credit: Special Arrangements)

Her father’s reaction was somewhat understated. “When I told my dad that I won the gold, he just said, ‘Achha, theek ho gaya beta’ (Okay, that’s good, kid). He was happy, but he doesn’t show much emotion,” she said with a laugh.

Los Angeles 2028: Another shot at the Olympics

The Paris Olympics remain a painful memory for Parveen, but her next goal is already set. He wants to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and win a medal for India.The gold from the Asian Games restored her confidence before the next Olympic cycle. She continues to rely on prayer and meditation, practices she says have helped her overcome her suspension.“This period has given me a lot of strength. I am stronger now, both physically and mentally. I listen to Hanuman Chalisa, worship and recite mantras. Meditation has helped me a lot. It gives me positive energy and makes me feel that God’s blessings are with me. I am sure that Los Angeles will be mine,” she said.

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At home in the village of Rurki, Parveen sometimes sits quietly in front of a small temple and thinks about the time when she continued to train despite no competition in sight.When asked what she would say to a younger version of herself who had gone through those difficult months, she had a simple answer.“I want to thank that Parveen. She faced so much effort to become the Parveen I am today. She worked hard and never gave up,” she said.And then she went back to the words she heard from her former coaches, words she says she now understands better.“People say sports is tapasya. I heard it from my earlier coaches, but now I felt it myself. It really is tapasya,” Parveen signed off.