AKHIL KUMAR - Olympic Dream

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

AKHIL KUMAR
Olympic Dream

Quick, name one Indian boxer you can remember… Well…come on…no one? 99 out of 100 people in India would have trouble recalling the name of a past or current Indian boxing champion. That says far more about the sorry lack of genuine world champions (and Olympic medalists) that we’ve produced in boxing than it does about our general knowledge. Now with the Beijing Olympics just round the corner, Indians don’t expect our boxers to shake us out of our chronic apathy and disinterest with the sport. But one man is hoping to change that. Akhil Kumar, this 27 year-old boxer from Haryana is even making skeptics sit up and take notice.

Admittedly, he lost in the first round at the Athens Olympics, but since then he hasn’t looked back. He won the gold for India at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and followed it up with a truly gritty display of quality boxing for the Asian qualifiers for Beijing Olympics by winning gold again, comprehensively beating Worapoj Petchkoom, Olympic silver medalist at Athens. “He is definitely our best hope. I haven’t seen him boxing this well, ever. At Bangkok (the venue for the qualifying event) he stopped all the boxers before the allotted time and accumulated a 24-point overall lead! He also won the ‘Best Boxer’ award at the event,” says his proud coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu. “He can surely bring home a medal from Beijing. However, boxing is a very individualistic sport and a lot will depend on the draw and his (Akhil’s) form on that day,” he adds cautiously. But, if there’s one thing that can spoil the expected celebrations, it is, if Akhil were to break down again. “He is injury prone, especially in the wrist area. In fact, even now, he is in South Africa receiving treatment for his wrist,” rues Mr. Sandhu. However, it is a minor injury and is not expected to interfere with his preparations. Let’s hope now that Akhil is in top shape when the time comes because he has made one thing sure...this time, at least when the Olympics roll around, more than a few people will be glued to the telly, rolling with the punches and egging him on.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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