Parveen Hooda wins 65kg Asian Games gold in Aichi-Nagoya and embraces beaten opponent
Parveen Hooda won her maiden Asian Games gold medal at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday and, after the final, embraced Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin in a show of mutual respect.
The 23-year-old’s victory in the 65kg final came after a career punctuated by setbacks and personal challenges, and Parveen described the achievement as more than just a medal. "I can say that this is my second journey but this time I am mentally stronger than before and more mature," she said.
Parveen edged Chen in a closely fought contest, taking the final by a 3-2 split decision in the 65kg category. After the bout the two fighters embraced and smiled in the ring before Parveen celebrated her long-awaited gold. "Parveen Hooda takes the 3-2 split decision in a closely fought final, but the smiles and mutual respect between both boxers steal the show," wrote Sony Sports Network in a post accompanying footage of the moment.
Her road back has included the loss of a previous Asian Games medal: Parveen had won bronze in the 57kg category at the delayed Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, but that medal was later stripped following a whereabouts failure. She was handed a 22-month suspension and subsequently missed the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Parveen also returned to competition this year only to lose in the quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, a defeat she said left her distraught before she resolved to use it as fuel for hard work. "When I lost at Commonwealth Games, I cried and cried. Everyone was celebrating. After some time, I thought what's the point of crying. Let's do hard work," she said. "So next day, I got up, did my strength training."
Family circumstances provided additional motivation: her father, Lakhpat Hooda, has been battling cancer for four years and also has a heart condition, and was hospitalised when Parveen travelled to China for the 2023 Asian Games. "When I was going to the 2023 Asian Games in China, my father was hospitalized. So I left him and went crying. He was in a lot of pain," she said. Her mother, Neelam Devi, sells milk to support the family, and Parveen said she had kept her 2023 medal on the wall as a reminder to strive for gold: "I have kept the medal in the middle of the wall so that every time I see it I will think I will change its colour and bring a gold. It is right in front of me for motivation." "The medal of 2023 Asian Games has come back as gold," Parveen said.
Parveen, who is currently an ITBP Assistant Sub-Inspector, said she will prepare for the World Championship next year after spending some time with her family and then target the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She said that sequence—World Championship next year, followed by focused preparation for 2028—will form the next phase of her competitive plans.