He's an arjuna awardee and India's ace pugilist. The dashing akhil kumar talks to Ravi Inder Singh about making boxing popular, turning pro and more...
What can we do to increase the popularity of boxing in India? When would an Akhil or Vijender become as popular as Tendulkar?
Unlike cricket, awareness about boxing is limited. People hardly understand the rules of boxing, hence developing a liking towards the sport becomes difficult. While everybody has an expert opinion on cricket and its various aspects, as far as boxing is concerned, people hardly know what’s right. People are only interested in knowing who won, but no one appreciates the jabs, hooks and blocks. If people are told more about the sport, they would take more interest and also if the players are more media friendly, they could attract the masses.
How does training differ in India as compared to a boxing powerhouse like Cuba?
Training in Cuba is more systematic and organised as compared to India. It is so symmetrical that most coaches train in a similar fashion. Unlike Cuba, training in India changes with every coach. While most boxers in Cuba have personalised trainers, in India personalised coaches are a luxury and unheard of.
How do you prepare mentally and physically before a fight? Do you gather information about your opponents?
Before a fight we get into a regime called speed training, which focuses on agility. Mental conditioning is also essential. I personally have a strong belief in God and feel that He is with me in all my endeavours. Gathering information about an opponent is ideally the coach’s responsibility. It is his duty to inform us of the opponent’s strategies, strengths and weaknesses. Abroad, they have personalised coaches for all participants. These trainers are supposed to accompany the boxer to all competitions. I recall an incident… I was in Athens for the Olympics where I noticed that after my bout I was in for a match with a Cuban opponent and his coach was observing me throughout my previous bout… so I saw him giving tips to his candidate by exactly mimicking my style of fighting and suggesting him counter measures. We have very few such coaches in India.
Have you ever thought of turning pro?
If I get a good promoter, I would love to be a part of professional boxing. Professional boxing requires everything to be top notch with respect to medical facilities, training regimens and personalised trainers. Public attraction is an integral part of professional boxing, and for gaining public attention the awareness about the sport is essential. Only then people would appreciate the body movement, foot work, timing and boxing style of real boxers such as Jeetu (Jitender Kumar) and freshers like Mandeep Jangra who still have time, and can prove to be our best bets if given the appropriate coaching and media coverage.
In the past you’ve reached the quarter finals but lost out. Was it just bad luck? How would you ensure it doesn’t happen again?
Once you reach the international standards, the opponents you meet in the ring are more or less at par with you. But it depends on your strategy on that particular day and how well you execute it. Like if I plan to score a clear point, I try for it by sometimes keeping my guard down and intimidating the opponent and inviting him to strike. But it so happens that your strategy doesn’t work and you lose the bout. I could call it bad luck but not entirely.
In the Indian contingent, who do you think is the best boxer and has the most potential?
I personally feel that Jitender Kumar, who is an Olympic quarter finalist, is a promising candidate. His body structure is unparalleled and he has the calibre of reaching the zenith of boxing. Mandeep Jangra is another young lad with a very impressive boxing style. I am confident that these two would soon do our country proud.
What can we do to increase the popularity of boxing in India? When would an Akhil or Vijender become as popular as Tendulkar?
Unlike cricket, awareness about boxing is limited. People hardly understand the rules of boxing, hence developing a liking towards the sport becomes difficult. While everybody has an expert opinion on cricket and its various aspects, as far as boxing is concerned, people hardly know what’s right. People are only interested in knowing who won, but no one appreciates the jabs, hooks and blocks. If people are told more about the sport, they would take more interest and also if the players are more media friendly, they could attract the masses.
How does training differ in India as compared to a boxing powerhouse like Cuba?
Training in Cuba is more systematic and organised as compared to India. It is so symmetrical that most coaches train in a similar fashion. Unlike Cuba, training in India changes with every coach. While most boxers in Cuba have personalised trainers, in India personalised coaches are a luxury and unheard of.
How do you prepare mentally and physically before a fight? Do you gather information about your opponents?
Before a fight we get into a regime called speed training, which focuses on agility. Mental conditioning is also essential. I personally have a strong belief in God and feel that He is with me in all my endeavours. Gathering information about an opponent is ideally the coach’s responsibility. It is his duty to inform us of the opponent’s strategies, strengths and weaknesses. Abroad, they have personalised coaches for all participants. These trainers are supposed to accompany the boxer to all competitions. I recall an incident… I was in Athens for the Olympics where I noticed that after my bout I was in for a match with a Cuban opponent and his coach was observing me throughout my previous bout… so I saw him giving tips to his candidate by exactly mimicking my style of fighting and suggesting him counter measures. We have very few such coaches in India.
Have you ever thought of turning pro?
If I get a good promoter, I would love to be a part of professional boxing. Professional boxing requires everything to be top notch with respect to medical facilities, training regimens and personalised trainers. Public attraction is an integral part of professional boxing, and for gaining public attention the awareness about the sport is essential. Only then people would appreciate the body movement, foot work, timing and boxing style of real boxers such as Jeetu (Jitender Kumar) and freshers like Mandeep Jangra who still have time, and can prove to be our best bets if given the appropriate coaching and media coverage.
In the past you’ve reached the quarter finals but lost out. Was it just bad luck? How would you ensure it doesn’t happen again?
Once you reach the international standards, the opponents you meet in the ring are more or less at par with you. But it depends on your strategy on that particular day and how well you execute it. Like if I plan to score a clear point, I try for it by sometimes keeping my guard down and intimidating the opponent and inviting him to strike. But it so happens that your strategy doesn’t work and you lose the bout. I could call it bad luck but not entirely.
In the Indian contingent, who do you think is the best boxer and has the most potential?
I personally feel that Jitender Kumar, who is an Olympic quarter finalist, is a promising candidate. His body structure is unparalleled and he has the calibre of reaching the zenith of boxing. Mandeep Jangra is another young lad with a very impressive boxing style. I am confident that these two would soon do our country proud.
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