New Delhi : In Haryana’s boxing heartland of Bhiwani, dreams are often forged inside crowded rings filled with aspiring boxers before blossoming on the world stage. Sakshi Chaudhary, a product of the famed Bhiwani Boxing Club, has travelled that familiar road, but not without heartbreak. Shoulder injuries robbed the 25-year-old of a place at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Four years later, she finally gets her chance.When India’s boxing campaign begins at the Glasgow CWG, Sakshi will enter the ring as one of the country’s leading medal prospects. The women’s 51kg boxer opens her campaign against Botswana’s Lethabo Modukanele on July 27, carrying not just the nation’s hopes but also the weight of opportunities once lost.“The India jersey always motivates me to fight for gold. I had been waiting for this opportunity. After missing the CWG and Asian Games earlier because of injuries, I’m finally here. My preparations have been very good. I’ve sharpened my technique and attacking game, and my height and reach will be an advantage,” Sakshi told TOI .The boxer from Dhanana village, whose father is a farmer and mother a homemaker, credits legendary coach Jagdish Singh with shaping her career before she joined the Army. Her road to Glasgow required reinvention. A natural 54kg boxer, Sakshi dropped down to 51kg after Preeti Pawar secured India’s 54kg berth by winning gold at the Asian Championships. She shed nearly three kilograms in three weeks and justified the gamble, defeating Jyoti Gulia, former world champion Nikhat Zareen and reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda during the selection trials at NIS Patiala in May. “This was a do-or-die situation for me. I wanted to go all out because qualifying for the CWG and Asian Games meant everything after losing out previously,” she said.The move has also suited her boxing. “In 54kg, many boxers come down from higher weights and there’s more power. In 51kg, my height advantage helps me much more.”A two-time World youth champion, World junior champion and Asian Championships medallist, Sakshi is now making a smooth transition to senior boxing. For the boxer who once watched two major Games slip away, Glasgow offers the chance to script the comeback she has long imagined.