By Aadi Nair
PARIS (Reuters) – Indian boxer Preeti Pawar will get out her sketchbook and draw herself to help better understand her performance in an opening round win over Thi Kim Anh Vo at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Preeti beat Vo by a unanimous decision at the North Paris Arena to progress to the round of 16 of the bantamweight category, where she faces Yeni Arias on Tuesday.
“Yes, I think I will do a painting,” Preeti said. “Maybe not a proper painting, but I think I will do a sketch of the bout and see what I did. Just make a rough sketch.”
Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti appeared cautious in the opening exchanges, but roared back with a couple of jarring lefts in the second and third rounds to clinch the win over her Vietnamese opponent.
“I was not nervous when I went in the ring, I was only thinking of how I need to fight, how I need to manage the bout.
“In the first round, the starting minute, I wanted to check her range.
“I did that but it went a bit slowly, so that’s why I lost the first round, but then during the rest I changed my strategy. I thought that I needed to pressure her more. So in the second and third round I made her go back and I went forward.”
Preeti has a stiff test coming up in Colombian Arias – a former World Championships silver medallist and the defending Pan American Games champion – as she looks to earn India their first Olympic gold medal in the sport.
“I came here to give my best and, of course, I came here to make India proud, to win the medal,” the 20-year-old said.
“I will try everything I can to take home a medal and leave from here with it. I have full hope and I will give my best.”
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Paris; Editing by Ken Ferris)
