Champion’s breakfast: how Saweety ‘ate her sorrows’ to rise stronger

After experiencing nine long years of ups and downs, including a demoralising phase during the pandemic when she did not touch the boxing gloves for months, Saweety Boora has emerged as a wiser person. Thirty-year-old Saweety’s unending tryst with hard work has enabled her to turn her 2014 Worlds silver medal (81kg) into gold this year and helped her realise that the problems she faced only made her stronger.

Everyone saw Saweety overcome three doughty opponents to become a World champion. But only a few know that she dealt with three physical challenges — a groin issue, a dodgy ankle and a stomach infection — prior to the World Championships.

“My willpower is very strong. I never let anyone [barring a few] feel that I had a groin issue, which surfaced 20 days prior to the World Championships. Whenever I felt any discomfort, I did some exercises with the help of the physio. Of course, everyone knew about my ankle and was confident that I would recover in time. The stomach infection was also troubling, but I always had a lot of stamina to work hard despite these issues,” said Saweety.

These were relatively smaller problems for someone who had weathered bigger odds, having almost quit the sport a few years back.

Saweety was devastated after not finding a place in the Indian squad for two major events. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) decided not to send a boxer in women’s 75kg to the 2018 Asian Games and Saweety could not make the cut for the 2020 Olympic qualifier.

Dealing with heartbreak

“I was heartbroken and went into depression. For about 10 months I did not touch the boxing gloves. I did not like speaking to anyone at home and stayed aloof. I would shout at others if anyone in my family tried speaking to me,” said Saweety, remembering the troubled times.

“My mother and Deepak [Niwas Hooda, the India kabaddi captain who married Saweety in 2022] tried to make me calm. Even though I was not boxing, I went to the gym and did fitness training for long hours. My cousin brother and Deepak supported me and I tried my hand at kabaddi, in which I got selected for the National championships in a span of just three months.”

Unshakeable belief: Saweety’s refusal to give up on her dream and her appetite for hard work enabled her to turn her silver at the 2014 Worlds into gold this year.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY

But Saweety missed being a boxer. “I was not happy even after progressing fast in kabaddi. I thought it was not in the Olympics. Since it was a team game, I might pay the price for someone else’s mistakes. When I heard about the trials for the Asian Championships, I was eager but I was in a dilemma. At that time, Deepak said, ‘You have worked so hard on your fitness. Just because you have not done boxing for some months, you cannot forget it.’

“I just trained for four sessions and gave a strong performance in the trials to get selected. Someone asked me, ‘Kya kha ke aayi hai trials mein (What have you eaten for the trials)?’ I replied, ‘Main gham khake aayi hoon (I have eaten my sorrow).’ I got a bronze medal [in 2021, six years after bagging a silver] in the Asian Championships.

“I was happy getting back to boxing. I was more positive. I thought no matter what I would continue to box and give my best for the country. Rest is in the hands of god.”

Saweety grew in confidence to secure the Asian title in 2022 and her maiden World title this March, proving her credentials again after all these years in the sport. Her big-hearted performances against top rivals, including former World champion Lina Wang of China, projected her as an elite Indian boxer in the heavier weight categories.

Innate aggression

Hisar-based veteran boxing coach M.S. Dhaka, Saweety’s go-to man, feels her innate aggression is her biggest strength.

“She has been an aggressive boxer all through. Since there are not too many girls available for sparring in her weight, Saweety prefers sparring with the boys, plays basketball and kabaddi. After her low phase during Covid, she has bounced back well.

“She lands good punches but relies on her footwork to deny her opponent. If she continues like this, her momentum will help her in future. Since boxers from some top European nations were absent at the World Championships, Saweety needs to prepare herself to face tougher competitors,” said Dhaka.

National treasure: One of Saweety’s goals during her climb back to the elite level was the ambition to make the country proud. She certainly achieved that at the Worlds.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY

Looking ahead, Saweety is keen to compete in the Paris Olympics but her destiny is not in her hands — the 2024 Olympics does not have a women’s 81kg category.

And as per the BFI’s selection policy, the World champions in the Olympic weight divisions will travel to Hangzhou for the Asian Games, which is an Olympic qualifying event. So, Lovlina Borgohain, the 75kg World title holder, will have the opportunity to book her ticket to Paris.

“I have to follow the selection policy, but a trial would have been better. If I get a chance to compete in the Olympic qualifier, I will give my best. Normally, I find it hard to lose or gain weight. I need to cut down about four kg [to compete in 75kg],” said Saweety.

Other than boxing, Saweety has another side to her life. She is a star on social media. When you mention her popularity on Instagram, she promptly replies, “I am even more popular on Facebook, I have a million followers.”

But she does not cut time out of boxing to devote to social media, which, for Saweety, is a platform to inspire people.

“People get influenced by all sorts of posts. I feel posts related to sports can also be popular. It can inspire people to take to sport, remain fit and spend one’s energy in a positive way. Even today, some conservative people bother about what you wear and how you dress. But it’s your karam (action) that makes all the difference,” says Saweety, signing off with the irrepressible positivity that has helped her get past obstacles and evolve as a stronger individual.