But
the
national
champion
is
back
in
training
and
is
all
set
for
her
first
competitive
outing
of
the
season
as
well
–
the
prestigious
Strandja
Memorial
starting
on
February
18
in
Sofia,
Belgrade.
“I
got
back
to
the
national
camp,”
the
81kg
category
boxer
told
PTI
news
agency,
her
voice
reflecting
the
pain
and
helplessness
of
being
dealt
another
blow
just
when
things
were
seemingly
going
well
for
her
after
ending
as
a
quarterfinalist
in
Tokyo.
She
is
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
is
a
crushing
blow
as
he
was
her
biggest
motivator.
“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
of
Feb
1,
I
was
told
he
passed
away
due
to
heart
failure.
I
rushed
home.”
“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
boxer
from
Bhiwani,
who
also
won
bronze
in
the
2014
Asian
Games,
is
hoping
to
make
her
father
proud
at
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
out
but
once
he
got
around,
he
was
like
a
pillar.
He
was
with
me
through
every
triumph
and
every
disappointment.
I
hope
I
can
make
him
proud.”