From scratched to upgraded medal, Parveen's redemption punch

Around two months ago, with Indian women basking in the spotlight of a record boxing haul from the Commonwealth Games (CWG), Parveen Hooda returned as the only female boxer without a medal. Around three years ago, she returned from the Asian Games with a 57kg bronze, only for it to be scratched.

All through those months of serving a doping suspension for whereabouts failures, Parveen prayed for another opportunity. All through this month-and-a-half of the quick CWG -Asian Games turnaround, she quietly worked behind the scenes towards another opportunity.

And when it came at the Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi, it pushed Parveen's redemption arc at the 2026 Asian Games.

The pugilist from Haryana defeated China's Li Shu 5-0 in the 65kg semi-final on Tuesday to enter the final with aplomb and confirm a better medal than the one taken away from Hangzhou.

The Indian boxing contingent, as a whole, has already bettered its Hangzhou show, which had three bronze and a silver. From the six assured medals, Ankush produced a brilliant turnaround after losing the first round to stun reigning world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev of Uzbekistan 4-1 in their 80kg semi-final. With three more Indian semi-finalists in action on Wednesday, there could be more finalists.

Parveen will be one of them. It won't be easy against Chinese Taipei's Olympic and Worlds medallist Chen Nien-chin. But nothing has been easy for this 26-year-old over the past couple of years. Be it the frustration of serving a doping suspension while watching the Paris Olympics slip away, or switching weight categories upon return, or staying patient even as success at CWG level – relatively less challenging than Asian – eluded her.

"She's been excellent," Santiago Nieva, the women's team head coach, told HT from Aichi.

"She's making great improvements. She has learnt a lot from the couple of competitions in which she lost before, and put in a lot of effort in the camp."