Nitu Ghangas, the 48 kg Commonwealth Games gold medallist, has two issues going for her – velocity within the ring and her energy. These qualities left specialists impressed.
Four years in the past, early in his stint as India’s girls’s international boxing coach Raffaele Bergamasco observed Nitu was particular. He requested the then youth coach Bhaskar Chandra Bhatt to maintain him posted about her progress.
On Sunday afternoon, after Nitu received the 48 kg remaining towards England’s Demie Jade Resztan, with a unanimous 5:0 determination, the Italian despatched a congratulatory WhatsApp message to Nitu.
“When I spent time at the national youth camp in Bhopal, Nitu’s skill struck me immediately. Her boxing was very simple yet effective. One thing which impressed me during the camp as well as during the two successive world youth championships was that she got rid of her opponents with her speed and physical strength, a thing which she has displayed the whole of last week,” Bergamasco informed The Indian Express.
GOLD FOR NITU!🥇
🇮🇳Nitu places up a 5️⃣ ⭐️ efficiency towards 🏴’s R. Demie -Jade to clinch the Gold medal🥇 on the #Birmigham2022 ! 💪
Score: 5-0
Congratulations, champ!🔥@AjaySingh_SG | @debojo_m@birminghamcg22#Commonwealthgames#B2022#PunchMeinHainDum 2.0#birmingham22 pic.twitter.com/bRHr8aENQ1
— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) August 7, 2022
At Birmingham, Nitu first scored an ABD win (when a boxer retires) over Northern Ireland’s Nicole Clyde to maneuver into the semifinals and guarantee herself of a bronze medal at the least. The Irish boxer was a bit taller than Nitu however the Indian relied on slipping her punches, touchdown her straight punches with proper uppercuts as effectively. In the semifinal bout, Nitu confronted Canada’s Priyanka Dhillon and received by RSC (Referee Stops Contest). Dhillon was a counter boxer and Nitu as soon as once more relied on her straight punches.
“Nicole was taller than me and was also a southpaw. So I had to go for an attacking style initially. My focus was on slipping her punches and going for straight as well as for the right uppercuts. Canada’s Dhillon was a counter boxer and I went with the plan that I have to bring her to my range and then use straight punches and slip towards the side to avoid her punches,” Nitu informed this paper.
But her largest problem got here within the remaining. Demie-Jade Resztan is a southpaw and a tough fashion boxer. Nitu had boxed towards her throughout coaching bouts in Ireland previous to the video games. “She is a bit shorter in height and that’s why she relies on playing rough against taller opponents. My plan was to play from long range and to increase my attacks. When she came forward, I slipped towards right or left and landed counter punches avoiding the clinching initially,” Nitu stated.
Her coach on the Bhiwani Boxing Club Jagdish Singh too had a phrase along with her earlier than the ultimate.
21 and she or he owns the GOLD🥇
– INSPIRATIONAL ❤️
So Proud of You My Girl❤️#NituGhangas #CommonwealthGames2022 pic.twitter.com/xpNRXTBuRD
— Shilpi Tripathi 🪶 (@shilpitripathi1) August 7, 2022
“Playing a southpaw that too in the final meant that Nitu would be under some pressure. But she did not look hesitant at all in the first round and played with an excellent ring IQ to dodge her attacks and play from long range. Regarding the 50 kg category (Olympic category), we need to work on her muscular strength and increase some speed and have more accuracy in counter attacks,” Singh stated.
Bergamasco too agrees with Singh. “Nitu’s right guard is an advantage over others and her swiftness of the arms and strength makes her a threat in 48 kg. She needed to add more in terms of muscle structure,” says the Italian.
As for Nitu, as soon as she will get residence, she would once more spend watching the movies of London Olympics and six-time world champion Mary Kom. “Mary didi at her prime played from long range and remained aggressive through all the rounds. Her accuracy in upper cut and the speed by which she landed her left hook is what I aspire to do one day,” Nitu stated.
The younger boxer has had her share of accidents.
A pelvic harm in 2015 earlier than she received the youth nationals bronze noticed Nitu struggling for a while along with her straight punches. Post her twin world youth titles in 2017 and 2018 in Guwahati and Budapest respectively, Nitu would endure a left wrist harm. She additionally injured her proper shoulder.
“Straight punches as well as right jabs before I land left cross and right hook has been my staple all these years. When I got the pelvic injury, my father would help me stand and I would practice the upper body movement as well these punches apart from upper cut lightly so that my muscle memory remains. When I suffered the left wrist injury, it resulted in me using the right hook more and I got my right shoulder injured. It was a tough time for me mentally,” Nitu stated.
A Commonwealth Games gold has made Nitu really feel like all of the sacrifices had been value it.
