Days after losing father, Asian champ boxer Pooja Rani set for Strandja Memorial

From the revelry of her brother's wedding to the utter despair of losing her father, life changed in a matter of five days for two-time Asian champion and Tokyo Olympian boxer Pooja Rani.

But the national champion is back in training here and is all set for her first competitive outing of the season as well, the prestigious Strandja Memorial Tournament which starts February 18 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"I got back to the national camp just yesterday," the 81kg category boxer told PTI, her soft voice reflecting the pain and helplessness of being dealt another blow just when things were seemingly going well for her after ending a quarterfinalist in Tokyo Olympics.

She is quite used to life going awry at the most inopportune time.

A career-threatening shoulder injury some years back and burnt hands just before a major tournament bear testimony to Pooja's struggles.

But this hurts more than anything she has endured so far. The death of her father Rajbir Singh, a retired inspector in Haryana Police, is a crushing blow as he was her biggest motivator despite being opposed to her career as a boxer when she started.

"He was my biggest inspiration. I was very close to him. It happened five days after my brother's wedding last month, I had come back to the camp and suddenly around 3 in the morning (on February 1), I was told he died of a heart failure, I rushed home," she recalled before going quiet, unable to revisit the trauma beyond this.

"When I was coming back to the camp after my brother's wedding, he made a victory sign to see me off, I can't get that out of my mind. I keep thinking of about it. It's like I am stuck in that moment," she said.

But life goes on and the Bhiwani-boxer, who also has to her credit a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games, is hoping to make her father proud at the Strandja Memorial.

"Whether I won or lost, all he tried to do was to make me happy. He opposed my love for boxing when I started but once he got around, he was like a pillar, with me through every triumph and every disappointment. I hope I can make him proud.

"I have had very little time to train amid all that has happened but I am hopeful of doing well in Strandja," she said.

The tournament, which is the European season-opener, will feature both male and female boxers. The Indian women's team will be made entirely of the reigning national champions.