There is a distinct similarity in the way Nitu and Sakshi fight in the boxing ring. Both the girls tend to take time to study their opponent before counter-punching their way in the later half of the bout.
Its a strategy that was perfected by the likes of Beijing Olympics gold medallist Vijender Singh and later adopted by Jitender Kumar and Kavita Chahal among others and is haul mark of the Bhiwani Boxing Club boxers.
Both Nitu and Sakshi are the latest stars of the centre set up by coach Jagdish Singh and now stand on the threshold of a gold medal in the AIBA Women World Youth Championships in Guwahati.
In the 54 kg semi-final, Sakshi pummelled Japan’s Sena Irie so badly that the latter’s coaches threw in the towel a good 90 seconds before the stipulated time. Yet again, the storm arrived after a lot of calm in the first round. “I am a counter-attacking boxer,” explains Sakshi. “I see what kind of opponent I am playing and then decide to go on the attack. It is a deliberate ploy and have always boxed this way.”
Nitu, on the other hand, registered a hard-fought win by split decision in her semi-final match, which was against China’s Yuan Nie. After a below-par first round, the Indian showed excellent ring awareness to unleash jabs with her preferred left. That too, she says, was premeditated.
Hard grind
Nitu and Sakshi, childhood friends and now teammates are flying high, but are thankful to the hard grind of their formative years in the academy.
What is it that makes the Dronacharya awardee, credited for setting up the Cuba of India stand out? Nitu says: “There is probably none like him in the world. Discipline is the first thing he inculcated in us. Only then did he start on working on my technique.”
Sakshi, concurs: “He taught me the basics and fine-tuned my game when I first started training with him five years ago. After he thought we had a good base to work with, he gradually bettered our training.”
It didn’t take long before the two Haryana girls started showing their prowess against some of the best in the world. It was Sakshi who got the ball rolling, stunning US national champion Yarisel Ramirez to win gold in the 2015 junior women’s World Championships in Chinese Taipei.
Nitu soon caught up and was tipped as one of India’s best bets before the start of the tournament in Guwahati, “Winning gold in Bulgaria [One of India’s exposure trips before the start of the championships] gave me a lot of confidence. Now I want to lift gold in Asian Championships and later, in the Youth Olympics next year.” says Nitu.
Almost telepathically, Sakshi too stated that winning gold in the Youth Olympics ranks on top of the priority list. Of course, after winning after gold in India.
The two teenagers have had their fair share of hardships too. Sakshi’s has been more recent. A vegetarian all her life, the frequent away trips meant that her diet plan went haywire and she had to start eating meat while in Europe to get the required nutrition.
Nitu, on the other hand, is living her father’s dream.
Currently employed by the Chandigarh legislative assembly, the light-fly boxer’s father took a break from his job three years ago to be by his daughter’s side. It meant that the family had to go through a financial crisis and he had to stand his ground against relatives who were against little Nitu donning the gloves.
The final countdown
But all those efforts have borne fruit for Nitu and Sakshi as they prepare for the gold medal clash.
“I am excited,” exclaimed Nitu, who faces Kazakhstan Zhazira Urakbayeva in the final.
Sakshi, meanwhile, is banking on her studied approach to take her over the line against England’s Ivy-Jane Smith in the summit clash.
“My coaches tell me what my opponents are good at. I plan accordingly. Rafaelle sir [Head coach Rafaelle Bergamasco] also has a good know-how of European opponents and their style so I always watch out for his inputs.
“I will continue to play to my strengths. That is what Jagdish sir told me when I spoke to him over the phone,” Sakshi signed off.