Bengaluru: During the months leading up to the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, boxer Parveen Hooda found herself at a crossroads.
The 23-year-old’s primary focus was on earning one of the Paris Olympic berths on offer - handed to all the semifinalists at the continental bash. But as she immersed herself in preparations to make her childhood dream come true at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, news that her father, Lakhpat Singh, was diagnosed with throat cancer was a bolt from the blue.
“We got to know about it in March and the Asian Games were scheduled to begin in September,” recalls Parveen. “I used to travel (over 200 kms) back and forth during the weekends to be by his side, and even thought of staying back at home and looking after him. But pappa insisted that I focus on training and bring medals so that it will give him courage to fight the disease,” says the pugilist who was born in the village of Rurki near Rohtak in Haryana.
Though far away from home, tough family conditions were never out of her mind, but Parveen chose to go the extra mile every time she stepped inside the ring in the Chinese town, or maybe because of it.
As her father fought his way to recovery from Stage 3 cancer, the Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police punched her way to the semifinal before clinching a bronze which sealed her Paris ticket.
“That phase took a big toll on my mental health. He is much better now. I haven't gone home in 4-5 months, but my parents make the trip to come and meet me sometimes on Sundays,” explains Parveen.
The 2022 World Championships bronze medallist says she realised very young that there was no room for ducking adversity. This mentality isn't surprising as the boxer took the route of breaking the shackles of a patriarchal society to make an identity for herself, not dissimilar to what women encounter throughout the country and across fields.
From being the "unwanted" girl child to growing up to become the woman who inspires many in her village, Parveen has her eyes set on proving her worth on the biggest sporting stage come July.
Ask her about the one advice she swears by, pat comes the reply: “It was from my idol Mary Kom. I think it was in 2014-2015, when I was 2-3 years into the sport. My coach took some of us to watch her trials in Delhi. That’s when I met her for the first time. Mary didi told me ‘Never give up. There will be a lot of hurdles, but only the one who keeps fighting despite it all is the one who becomes a champion'.”
Parveen is proud she didn’t give up for, when the youngster takes a flight to the French capital, the words 'it’s a girl!' will have a celebratory tone to it in Rurki.
“From ladki hui hai to ladki ho tho aisi there has been a big change. It makes me happy,” she says.