<p>Mandeep Kaur, a former world junior boxing champion, is hopeful that winning a silver medal at the National Games for the second time in a row would help her be hired by Punjab Police and stop her from needing to rely on her father’s farm income for financial support.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-273893″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-boxer-mandeep-hopes-winning-a-second-straight-gold-at-the-national-games-would-hel-750×500.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com boxer mandeep hopes winning a second straight gold at the national games would hel” width=”1313″ height=”875″ title=”Boxer Mandeep hopes winning a second straight gold at the National Games would help her become more independent 3″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-boxer-mandeep-hopes-winning-a-second-straight-gold-at-the-national-games-would-hel-750×500.jpg 750w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-boxer-mandeep-hopes-winning-a-second-straight-gold-at-the-national-games-would-hel-1024×683.jpg 1024w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-boxer-mandeep-hopes-winning-a-second-straight-gold-at-the-national-games-would-hel-768×512.jpg 768w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-boxer-mandeep-hopes-winning-a-second-straight-gold-at-the-national-games-would-hel-150×100.jpg 150w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-boxer-mandeep-hopes-winning-a-second-straight-gold-at-the-national-games-would-hel.jpg 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 1313px) 100vw, 1313px” /></p>
<p>Mandeep, a two-time Inter-University Games gold medalist and 2023 gold champion at the Khelo India University Games, won a silver medal in Gujarat last year and matched that performance in the 37th National Games on Wednesday at the Peddem Indoor Stadium.</p>
<p>She was defeated by Haryana’s Manisha Moun in the 57 kg Featherweight final by Unanimous Decision (0-5)).</p>
<p>It’s been a difficult trip, particularly because I have to continually begging my father for money so that I may buy vitamins. My family’s pocket money is completely consumed by my food needs. It is challenging to do it alone without support from sponsors. However, as life is all about dreams, she said, “I hope that after these National Games, doors will open for me.”</p>
<p>Mandeep, who comes from the same town as Tokyo Olympian Simranjit Kaur Baath, Chakar village in Ludhiana, fell in love with the sport when he was seven years old. However, her father found it impossible to afford to buy her gloves or training supplies. Mandeep hasn’t looked back since Sher-e-Punjab Sports Academy stepped up to help her.</p>
<p>Following in the footsteps of her older brother Jagwinder Singh, the young athlete entered the academy and went on to win the National Sub-junior championships in 2011 and 2012. In 2015, she took home the gold medal from the 4th Junior Nations Boxing Cup, which was held in Serbia.</p>
<p>Boxer Mandeep was chosen to train at PIS, Mohali with Dronacharya Award-winning Cuban coach Blas Iglesias Fernandez after his victory in the junior world championship. “Under Fernandez sir, Simranjit and I train in the same Mohali facility. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about my nutrition while I’m at the academy since a lot of boxers from Punjab and other parts of the nation come to train there, the woman added.</p>
<p>Now that Parveen Hooda has already guaranteed a spot in the Featherweight category for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Mandeep is aiming for gold in the next senior national championships to strengthen her case for being included in the national team.</p>
<p>In order to be ready for the senior national boxing championships in Noida in December, Mandeep will return to the camp in Mohali after the National Games.</p>
<p>“For all boxers, this will be a very hectic year. After the National Games, I’m going directly to the camp to begin getting ready for the national championships. Before ending, the bronze medalist from the 2019 national championship said, “Winning the nationals will open the doors for national selection.”</p>
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