New Delhi: With London Olympics approaching, the Indian Men’s boxing team commenced its final camp of the year in the first week of November, in preparation for the grand event. The Indian team exhibited great talent and potential putting up exceptional performances against world class boxers at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in October. The tournament witnessed 4 Indian boxer make it to the quarter-final round and qualifying for the 2012 London Games. Vikas Krishan (69 kg), Jai Bhagwan (60 kg), Manoj Kumar (64 kg) and Devendro Singh (49kg) all sealed Olympic berths. Krishan went on to bag a bronze medal at the championship and became the second Indian ever to win a World Championship medal after Vijender Singh.
Having secured 4 Olympic berths the focus of the Indian team at the camp is going to be on qualification in the other weight categories and preparation of the qualifiers for the mega event next year. Chief National Coach GS Sandhu said that the training has been divided into two groups, one for the qualified boxers and one for the other six weight categories. He added, “Our goal is the Olympics and definite action plans have been chalked out for both the groups. We want them to peak at the right time so as to achieve the desired objectives.” Talking about the boxers who have already secured a quota place, the Dronacharya awardee stated that emphasis will be given on each boxer, with individual training – building on their strengths and eliminating weak areas will be the focus. He also said, “The camp will look to develop general and specific fitness along with technical and tactical movement for all the boxers.”
The Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from March 30th to April 8th, 2012 and the event will be the only chance for Asian boxers, who are yet to qualify, to book a place at the London Olympics. There will be 56 quota places up for grabs in Astana and every participant will go all out in order to qualify. A view echoed by Coach Sandhu who also believes, since Astana will be the only chance for Asian boxer to qualify, the nature of competition will be very unpredictable. Talking about India’s chances he expressed, “Astana will offer a very fluid platform of competition and therefore it is very difficult to comment on the number of qualifications we can achieve. But we are working very hard and I am pretty sure that we will have a favourable performance”.
Beijing Olympics Games bronze medallist Vijender Singh was not able to secure an Olympic berth at the World Championships, after having lost his opening round bout against Cuba's Emilio Correa. The 25 year old is leaving no stones unturned to make sure his preparations are top notch for the Asian Continental Championships. “At this point of time my only focus is the continental qualifiers and to secure and an Olympic quota. I am training hard and I am going to try my level best to seal a berth for London rest is up to god”, he added. The veteran boxer, who secured his berth for the Beijing Olympics in the 3rd and final qualifying tournament also held at Astana, Kazakhstan in 2008, is no stranger to the pressures involved during qualifying. “Pressure is a part of sports; it’s always there in some way or the other, it was there during the Beijing Olympics as it is at present. My only driving factors right now are my immediate goals and that’s what I am looking to achieve”.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manoj Kumar, who qualified for the Olympics by making it to the quarters at the World Championships, recently underwent surgery for a fracture in his hand and is undergoing rehabilitation. The 24 year old boxer is under the close supervision of physiotherapist for the Indian Boxing team, Hari Verma. Manoj who is advised 3 weeks rest and is restricted only to long walks during the rehab period expressed, “Injuries are part and parcel of the game; my utmost priority right now to regain full fitness and complete range of motion, once I am 100 percent I will focus on my training”.
The Camp at National Institute of Sports at Patiala, Punjab will to go on till the end of December. The training though will break off for the 58th National Championships which are scheduled to be held from 5th – 10th December’11 in Tamil Nadu.
