IT WAS a five-minute pep-talk with her parents before the final which pumped up boxer Alfiya who won the gold medal in her first attempt in the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships at Kielce in Poland, Thursday.

Alfiya was over the moon when she defeated her opponent Moldova’s Daria Kozorez 5-0 to register a one-sided win in the gold medal match. Everybody saw how Alfiya Tarranum Akram Khan Pathan, the 18-year-old pugilist from Nagpur, controlled her emotions on the podium when the Indian National Anthem was played for the seventh time in the day. Alfiya, who has been away from her home for past several months, training at SAI Centre in Rohtak, said her parents pumped her up before the final bout which helped her in winning her the maiden world youth championship gold.

“I had talked with my parents before the final and they encouraged me. They said they were sure that I would win the gold medal. The five-minute pep-talk pumped me up. They said that I will play an excellent final. They lifted my spirits by saying that I had worked so hard for so many days and months and I will bear fruits. I had talked for just five minutes with my parents and that really pumped me up psychologically,” Alfiya revealed from Poland while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ on Friday.

The plan for the final bout was simple. Go all out and dominate from the word go. The aggressive approach helped Alfiya win the gold-medal bout 5-0.

“My plan for the final was to start aggressively. In the semi-finals, I had lost the first round 0-5 but then I bounced back to win the second 3-2 and then took the final round 5-0 to enter the final. The strategy for the final was simple. I wanted to win the first round one-sided and take the lead. I played as per the instructions of my coaches and kept playing an aggressive game,” said Alfiya, daughter of Assistant Sub-Inspector at Nagpur City Police Headquarters Akram Pathan.

It was an emotional moment for Alfiya while standing in the middle of the podium with a gold medal dangling around her neck and listening to the Indian National Anthem being played in Poland.

“It was a very proud moment for me as well as for the entire nation when the National Anthem was played for the one last time in Poland. It was a surreal feeling. I got a bit emotional, too, but I controlled my-self on the podium. I was so happy to contribute to the country’s successful performance. My medal was one out of seven golds. India started the day by winning the gold and I finished up in the same manner by clinching the yellow metal. So, it was a very proud feeling,” Alfiya narrated her feelings.

The left-handed pugilists’ bout was the last of the day and she had to match the performance of other Indians. Alfiya admitted that she was under a bit of pressure but at the same time was confident of doing well.

“As India had won six gold medals before my bout, I was under a bit of pressure. But I was aware that the final would not be as tough as the semis. Still, there was a bit of pressure of winning the seventh gold medal for the country when all the others had fetched the top spot,” she admitted. Winning a gold medal in her first appearance in the youth category boosted Alfiya's confidence and she said this will help her in future competitions.

“This gold medal has given me a world of confidence. This was my first tournament in this category after I graduated from junior level. I wanted to cement my place in Indian team (in the youth category) after winning gold at Junior Asian Championship. This was a god-send opportunity for me and I wanted to prove myself. The gold medal is very important for me and it will help me in my future competitions,” Alfiya signed off.