Greater Noida, Jan. 6 -- Paris Olympian Preeti Sai Pawar has a strong rival in Sakshi Chaudhary in bantamweight (54kg). As Preeti was recovering from illness and the setback of the Olympics, Sakshi - a two-time world youth champion - seized the opportunity to establish herself in the national team with a series of strong performances. She won the World Boxing Cup in Astana last year and later earned selection for the Worlds in Liverpool, edging past Preeti in the assessment at the national camp. Preeti, having regained her strength and zest for boxing, turned the tables during selection for the India team at the World Cup Finals here. With a gold at the season-ending event, Preeti will now be keen to retain her place in the Indian team. The test for both has begun at the ongoing Nationals at the Gautam Buddha University here. Although both Preeti and Sakshi represent Services, they are competing at the Nationals after BFI granted automatic berths to medallists from the World Cup Finals. Placed at either end of the draw, they are expected to clash in the final in one of the most anticipated bouts of the women's competition. At the national camp, the rivals are locked 1-1 in the trials, which form part of the overall assessment. Coaches point out that there was little to choose between them. The nationals offer both boxers a chance to set the tone for the rest of the year, with significantly higher stakes. "This year, there are several major tournaments. My target is to compete in the Asian Games, Asian Championships and the Commonwealth Games. That will help me prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics," said Preeti after a unanimous victory over Shreya on Monday. Sakshi will open her campaign on Tuesday. "Sakshi is a good competitor. It will be exciting to meet her in the final," Preeti said. "When you have good competitors, it helps you prepare better for international tournaments. The more punches you take and the more new things you try, the better control you gain over your mind during a fight." The two boxers possess contrasting styles. Preeti prefers an aggressive approach with powerful punches while Sakshi is more technical, using sharp footwork and long-range attacks....