Saweety Boora reached her first world final in nine years hoping to claim her destiny. Nine minutes later, it was hers: World Champion, finally. Saweety became the first Indian boxer to win gold in the women’s light heavyweight (81kg) class after beating China’s Wang Lina via split verdict on Saturday. This was one more than her silver earned from her in 2014 – it took her nine long years to get back on the podium at the World Championships. This time, however, she went all the way.
A three-time Asian Championship medalist, Saweety’s is a classic story of perseverance. She got a big break in 2014 when she won silver in her Worlds debut. At 21, she had won India’s best medal in the light heavyweight class. She was a former national kabaddi player who gave up the mat for a pair of gloves, and had been a bright prospect. But her career didn’t quite take off from there.
She was very successful at the Asian level: silver in 2015, bronze in 2021 and gold in 2022. She also dominated at home and in invitational tournaments around the world. In 2018, she changed things up by moving up to the 75kg category, which is part of the Olympic Games roster. But she just couldn’t replicate that on the world stage. Until 2023.
In New Delhi, she earned a direct bye to the quarterfinals, where she beat Viktoriya Kebikava of Belarus 5–0 for a semifinal spot. Secured bronze medal. But not the color she wanted.
Next up was a tough challenge against Australian Emma-Sue Greentree. Saweety cruised to a 4-3 victory on points after the fight was reviewed. Now, she would walk away with at least one silver. However, it was still not the color she wanted.
Standing between her and gold was former world champion Wang. And she bested her thanks to the unpredictable nature of her boxing.
Sometimes he charged at Wang: waving his arms and bowing his head. At other times, he would attack with a series of punches or just stand and punch. He threw everything he had at Wang.
“What sets Saweety apart is that you never know where he’s going to hit you. Usko opponent dikhta hai aur jahan gap dikhta hai wahan maarti hai woh (She only sees her opponent and whenever she notices a gap, she goes after it.) No one knows what punch she will attempt in the ring. She is not a technical or tempo boxer. She fights purely on instinct,” says Bhaskar Bhatt, head coach of the Indian women’s team.
It is her boxing instincts that have carried her for the past nine years. From that silver in South Korea to gold on Saturday in front of her home crowd in New Delhi.
Tears streamed down her face as the announcer named her the winner. This was the color she had wanted.
Such was his joy that he took a lap of honor inside the ring while holding up the tricolor. The referee had to intervene and say that it was not allowed. But it just didn’t matter, he put the ring down with a grin from ear to ear as his eyes filled with tears of joy.
Nine years after her Worlds debut, Saweety Boora can call herself a World Champion.
