Parveen Hooda Returns To Asian Games Seeking Redemption
Parveen Hooda is returning to the Asian Games with an old memory and a new target — winning another medal to replace the bronze she earned at Hangzhou but later lost after a suspension.
The Indian boxer had won bronze in the 57kg category at the 2023 Asian Games, securing an Olympic quota for India in the process. But both the medal and quota were taken away after she was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Nearly two years later, Parveen is back at the Asian Games, this time in the 65kg category, after a comeback marked by weight-class changes, injuries and a quarterfinal exit at the Commonwealth Games.
Suspension Changed Parveen’s Journey
Parveen was handed a 22-month suspension by WADA in May 2024 after three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. The ban was later backdated by 14 months.
The suspension cost her the Hangzhou bronze and the Olympic quota she had secured for India.
When Parveen returned to international boxing in November last year, she could no longer simply return to the 57kg category.
Jaismine Lamboria had secured India’s Paris Olympic quota in the weight class and subsequently won the World Championship title, leaving Parveen to move up to 60kg.
The transition initially produced encouraging results, with Parveen winning gold at the World Cup Final.
But her comeback was soon disrupted again when an injury forced her to miss the Asian Championships. Priya Ghanghas subsequently won the 60kg title and secured direct qualification for the Commonwealth Games.
Parveen was then required to move up once more.
From 57kg To 65kg
The 65kg category became the only feasible option for Parveen in India’s Commonwealth Games team, and it was also the highest weight class she had competed in.
Her first major test in the new category came at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she exited in the quarterfinals.
Parveen acknowledged the physical challenge of moving into a heavier division.
“CWG was my first major competition in this weight category. There was some weight issue and strength was also low because this is a higher weight category than what I used to compete in,” she said.
“I have worked on the mistakes I made then. But now I feel better in this weight,” she added.
The sequence of changes has made her comeback very different from what she might have imagined after her success at Hangzhou.
Yet her ambition remains the same.
“My aim is to do better than the level I was before,” Parveen said.
Parveen Works On New Weight-Class Demands
The Asian Games will provide another demanding test, with Parveen aware that she cannot rely solely on the strengths that served her in the lighter categories.
“Competition will be tough at the Asian Games. My long range is strong, so I’m working on short range and medium range,” she said.
Her preparation has also been tailored around the opponents she could face in Japan.
“Training is going well. The coaches have planned programs according to our game and also keeping in mind the opponents that will be there at the Asian Games,” she said.
The physical adjustments, tactical changes and setbacks have all formed part of Parveen’s journey back to the Asian Games.
A New Medal To Replace An Old Memory
Another medal in Japan cannot restore the bronze she won in Hangzhou or the Olympic quota that disappeared with her suspension.
But for Parveen, a podium finish would represent something new — the reward for rebuilding her career after nearly two years of disruption.
The memory of winning in Hangzhou remains, as does the disappointment that followed. Now, Parveen returns to the Asian Games hoping to create a fresh moment of her own in the 65kg category.
