Punching, the Phogat way

Welterweight boxer and 2018 World Championships bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain calls the whole process of going through the trials as "selection stress". Luckily for her, she did not have to go through this 'stress' as there is hardly any competition in her 69kg weight category, gaining direct entry.

But, that was not the case for Haryana boxer in the featherweight category, Neeraj Phogat. Fresh from her gold medal-winning performance at the Umakhanov Memorial International in Russia earlier this month, Neeraj went through the selection trials for the World Championships without a fuss. She carried on her form by edging past Asian Championships bronze medallist Manisha Moun with a barrage of punches in the trials.

For someone who is fighting in the Olympic weight category, 57kg, after dabbling in the 60kg earlier and in the 51kg category at the start, Neeraj has a simple mantra that she has learnt from her brother and parents: "Don't lose hope. If not now, then you will do it next time."

The 25-year-old Neeraj is excited about her maiden selection for the World Championships through the trials that underlined her status as the number one pugilist in her weight category in the country.

She is the first boxer in her family. Her elder brother Hitesh and uncles took to wrestling. She says she is not related to the famous Phogat sisters in wrestling. Her father is into agriculture.

"For the 2018 World Championships, I was in 51kg. I was out of the camp. My performances were also down. I did my first nationals in 2017. So, to come this far and earn my first World Championships berth is a happy feeling," Neeraj tells DNA from New Delhi.

It was at the behest of her coaches and brother that she controlled her weight to the desired 57kg. "Coaches told me to participate in the 57kg. It was for the first time that I participated in the 57kg category in the India Open in May and won gold. I was denied the chance the previous year as I changed weight and my ranking came down. As only the best four girls would be given chance, I lost whatever hope I had.

"The India Open gold opened new doors. I went on a training trip to South Korea in June, won gold in Russia recently and now won the trials for the World Championships."

Focus on doing well at Worlds 

This year has been a fruitful one for Neeraj. She put it across some of the finest. She upset World Championships silver medallist Sonia Chahal in the semifinals and Manisha in the final of the India Open. She beat the same two opponents in the trials for the World Championships.

In Russia earlier this month, she had an easy final against Russia's Malika Shakhidova after shocking former world champion Alessia Mesiano of Italy 3-2 in semifinals. She also beat another Russian Sayana Sagataeva 4-1 in quarterfinal.

Neeraj is focussed on doing well in the World Championships in Ulan-Ude, Russia, from October 3-13 and boost her chances of qualifying for her ultimate dream, the Olympics.

"My aim is to do well and qualify for the 2020 Olympics. But the first focus is on World Championships, If I do well there, I can look ahead with hope.

"The competition in every weight category is tough. I got a lot of belief when I beat Sonia and Manisha in the India Open. It has given me the confidence that I can beat anyone in the world. The World Championships, being my first ever, means a huge thing for me. I have got good performances in India Open and in Russia. Now, I have one and a half months for the World Championships. I hope to do well. And then, come January, be ready for the Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament," said Neeraj.

Speaking about her game, Neeraj says she charges to the opponent and attacks from the start. "My game is attacking from the start. I changed the style in between, going back, but that did not give me desired results. I started losing. I went back to my attacking game."

Asked to point out what her toughest bout has been so far in her career, Neeraj said the final against the Russian in the tournament earlier this month gave her satisfaction. "I beat that Italian (Mesiano) not knowing that she is a former world champion. I got to know about her later. It was a tough fight, I won 3-2. I could have lost it. I did not believe I could win the final against Russian Malika Shakhidova. My only aim was to give a good performance. But as it turned out, I wiped out the opponent. That was a surprise for me."

Living her brother's dream 

Neeraj, who prefers to be aloof and spend time in her room and not mingle with other pugilists or friends, is living the dream of her brother.

"My brother Hitesh has sacrificed a lot for me and my boxing after his wrestling career was cut short by injuries," Neeraj said. "I feel good, my family feels good. My brother dreams that I participate in Olympics. He says, 'You do well in World Championships. You have to fight in World Championships, you can prove yourself. Otherwise, it will be difficult for Olympics. He wants to see me in Olympics."

Elder to Neeraj by three years, Hitesh means the world to Neeraj as far as her boxing is concerned. "I spend most of my time with my brother discussing boxing. He lays out my diet chart so that I can keep my weight in control. He chalks out a plan for me. He pumps me up constantly by saying 'you will do well'.

Hailing from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, she took to boxing when in college. She recalls: "When I college, I did not know boxing. Once, an Army retired coach came to select those girls interested in boxing. I went home and told me brother and he gave the green signal. I took to boxing, but did not have any performance to show.

"Once, the coach even said that I cannot do boxing, that I feared a lot and that I was not fit for boxing. I cried and told my brother the same. He encouraged me saying, 'you don't listen to him. One day, the same coach will say you are good'. My brother gave me extra practice, strengthening my muscles, we used kit bags for punching.

"My brother got more interested in my boxing and used to correct me, scold me for doing mistakes, and work on my game late into the night after regular coaching. It was my father's wish that I become a good boxer since my brother could not make it big in wrestling."

From Charkhi Dadri, she shifted to Bhiwani for boxing, and that was the first time she went away from home. Of course, her brother Hitesh accompanied her.

'Winning and losing part of the game' 

Having had to go through some financial problems early on, Neeraj owes it to her family's support and guidance from former boxer Sanjay Shoran Kumar, who began to coach her.

To stick to boxing, she even refused a job offer from Railways. And she does not regret it.

"When my performance was down last year, people said that if I took Railways offer, I would have been better off. But, I wanted to box. If I work, boxing would take a backseat. Me doing well in the World Championships will shut up a few people too."

Neeraj admits she knows nothing outside of boxing. "I want to prove myself in boxing and keep my brother and family happy. Otherwise, people will talk about my failures and I don't want to be an example of failure."

Neeraj understands the pressures of performance in today's cut-throat competition. "My brother makes me understand. Earlier, I used to take pressure. Now less pressure. My brother and parents tell me 'You don't take pressure, you do well. Winning and losing are part of the game. If you lose, you will know where you lack. You win when you have done well. They don't put pressure on me saying 'you have to win, you have to win'. The tell me to give my best."

Give her best, Neeraj did, in securing her maiden World Championships berth. And, she is on the right course to living her Olympic dream.

NEERAJ CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Gold: Umakhanov Memorial International in Russia, August 2019
• Gold: India Open in Guwahati, May 2019
• Bronze (in 60kg): Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria, February 2019
• Gold: Women's Nations Cup in Serbia, 2017