"I didn’t know what the Olympics were" - Parveen Hooda opens up on not knowing about the Olympics during her early days

Boxer Parveen Hooda recently said that she understands the challenges that come with representing India in a tournament as big as the Olympics. Thus, before the quadrennial event in Paris to be held later this year, the 23-year-old from Rohtak, has stayed focused on keeping herself in shape.

Although Parveen took up boxing at a young age, it was only after a few years that she seriously pursued the sport as a profession bearing in mind the cutthroat competition.

Parveen Hooda bagged an Olympic quota last year and will be taking part in the 57 kg category event.

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“At first, I never even considered pursuing a career in boxing. Initially, I just thought boxing was fun and enjoyed it. But after 2-3 years of watching boxing competitions, I realized that there is also the Olympics. Initially, I didn’t know what the Olympics were. But after understanding what boxing was all about as a career, I decided to go to the Olympics,” Hooda told NNIS Sports.

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"At that time, I was very sad" - Parveen Hooda recalls tough times

In October 2023, Parveen won the bronze medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. She settled for a third-place finish after losing 0-5 to Lin Yu Ting of China.

Although Hooda finished on the podium, Parveen Hooda had to endure quite a bit as her father was suffering from throat cancer. The boxer updated on her father’s health but said that she was going through a challenging phase during her stint in the Asian Games.

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“He is much better now. But I was not sure about my father’s health before the Asian Games. At that time, I was very sad,” she added.

Back in 2022, Parveen won the bronze medal at the Istanbul World Championships. In the same year, she also clinched gold in the Amman Asian Championships. The youngster will now be looking to add an Olympic medal to her kitty.

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