Greater Noida

A surprising loss at last year’s Nationals proved to be a career-defining moment for boxer Nitu Ghanghas, prompting her to switch to the 51kg weight category as she sets her sights on the Los Angeles Olympics.

The 2023 World Champion and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the non-Olympic 48kg division suffered a quarterfinal exit at the Nationals, losing to Meenakshi Hooda, who went on to win gold at the World Championships.

“It turned out to be a good thing that I lost to Meenakshi. If I had won, I would have felt comfortable and probably never switched to 51kg. That loss was a turning point,” Nitu told PTI.

The move comes after a long break from international competition. Since winning gold at the 2023 World Championships, the Bhiwani Boxing Club pugilist has focused on national tournaments, claiming the Elite Women’s Tournament title in Hyderabad in June-July.

With 48kg not part of the Olympic programme, options were limited. Nitu had earlier attempted to qualify at 54kg for the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris Olympics but fell short.

“My only focus now is the Olympics. I already have a Commonwealth gold and a World Championship title in 48kg,” she said.

The 51kg category, however, poses stiff competition, with two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen likely to face Nitu in the Nationals final. The southpaw boxer, though, welcomes the challenge.

“My entire team has worked hard for me to be successful in this weight category. It doesn’t feel like I have changed, so I can play aggressively. Opponents will be good, but I will give it my all,” she said.

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Training has focused on enhancing strength and power without altering her natural style. “Not much has changed in training. We’ve concentrated on increasing my power and strength,” Nitu added.