Greater Noida, December 25
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist boxer Jaismine Lamboria is working on improving her mental acuity as well as sharpening her punches as she eyes a Paris Olympics quota.
The talented boxer ended her debut Asian Games campaign on an anti-climactic note earlier this year. Having won the first round in dominant fashion, Jaismine seemingly had a brain fade moment after she was given a warning, with the referee eventually forced to stop the 60kg quarterfinal bout.
“I was given a warning, counting for the first time. So, I was not able to handle it. My mind just went blank. It is important to know how to come back from such a situation which I didn’t,” Jaismine said after winning her quarterfinal bout at the National Championships here today.
A win would not only have fetched her a medal but also a Paris Olympics quota. “After that Asian Games bout, coaches told me to work on the mental aspect. I am working with a psychologist. He has told me to work on visualisation and do meditation,” she said.
The 22-year-old cruised to the National Championships semifinals in the 60kg category, which is one of the two women’s weight classes where India is yet to seal a Paris quota. A top-three finish at the Nationals will ensure a return to the national camp, where she has been a regular for the past two years.
Haryana’s Jaismine has come a long way since competing in her debut World Championships in 2022. From someone who used to only counterattack, she has learnt to be the aggressor. “I am learning a lot of things. I try and work on my weaknesses. I prefer back-peddling but my Services coaches tell me to also go ahead and attack,” she said.
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