Kota: Fresh off her gold medal triumph at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG), boxer Arundhati Choudhary’s family has spoken about the determination and relentless preparation that helped the young pugilist overcome illness and injury to clinch the title.Speaking to TOI at their Kota residence Sunday, Arundhati’s father Suresh Choudhary, who is also president of the Kota Boxing Association, along with her mother Sunita Choudhary and other relatives, described the resilience that powered her to victory.According to the family, Arundhati entered the CWG finals despite carrying an existing injury and battling a high fever that lasted into the morning of her bout.“She had to take multiple tablets throughout the day just to be able to step into the ring,” said her elder sister Charulata. “Despite her condition, she fought through the pain and secured a convincing 4-1 victory,” she added.Arundhati’s uncle Dinesh described the victory as an emotional moment for Kota and the entire Hadoti region.“She has worked tirelessly for years. Seeing her overcome illness to win gold for the country is beyond words,” he said, adding that several civic receptions are being planned to welcome her home.On his part, Suresh described his daughter as reserved and fiercely committed. “Arundhati is a person of very few words. When she makes a commitment, she fulfills it. Despite being unwell before the finals, she simply told me, ‘Don’t worry, Dad. I am bringing home the gold,’” he said.According to her father, Arundhati regularly revisits legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps’ autobiography and follows his philosophy of quickly shifting focus to the next challenge after every victory.Her sister, however, said Arundhati’s biggest motivation comes from her family. “She doesn’t need external pep talks. Seeing our family’s struggles, including our mother’s health condition, motivates her to keep pushing her limits,” she said.Looking ahead, Suresh said the family’s focus is now on preparing Arundhati for the Olympics. “Commonwealth Games gold is a major milestone, but the ultimate goal is an Olympic gold medal,” he said.He added that India lacks top-quality sparring partners in Arundhati’s weight category, and discussions with Boxing Federation officials have been held on sending her abroad to the US, Australia or Uzbekistan for training.Her family said Arundhati is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Aug 4, where she will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visit Army Headquarters on Aug 5, before returning to Kota on Aug 6.
