After missing out on the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022, Singapore boxer Danisha Mathialagan thought she had done enough to qualify for the 2023 edition in Cambodia.
To her dismay, her women's light flyweight category (50kg) was then cancelled.
With the jump to bantamweight (54kg) being a step too far, Danisha, who reached the quarter-finals in the 2019 edition, wanted to retire from the sport.
The 25-year-old said: "Last year, I could not qualify as I did not have enough fights at the height of Covid-19.
"Medalling at the SEA Games was always my goal. I honestly thought about retiring after I realised they cancelled my weight class."
But her coach, three-time SEA Games bronze medallist Muhamad Ridhwan, convinced her to stay the course.
This story is from the January 25, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the January 25, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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