rahul1117kumar
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More than two decades ago, when a young Akhil Kumar started boxing in his hometown Rohtak, he would spend a lot of time collecting cassettes and managing recordings of professional boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr and Prince Naseem Hamed. And that’s what Akhil has been discussing with fellow boxer and Beijing Olympics quarter-finalist Jitender Kumar for the last six months or so.
With his plans for qualifying for Rio Olympics going awry after suffering a ligament tear in November last year, it was a period which saw Akhil resuming training once again after an injury.
And on Tuesday, the 35-year-old announced he was turning professional along with Jitender as the duo confirmed their signing with IOS Entertainment, the same company which brought Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh into the professional fold.
“It was on my mind for the last three or four months and I would tell Jitu also to think about it. It’s been a challenge every time I suffered an injury and resumed training. But boxing made me do it and that’s what made me take this decision. I was keen to make the move after the AIBA decision to accept professional boxers. My wife, who is a coach now and had travelled with the Indian team to Rio and also to the professional qualifiers in Venezuela, would also tell me that I could have qualified for Rio too,” shares Akhil, who first came into the national senior camp in 2001.
With his last major tournament being the 2014 Asian Games, where he featured in the 60kg category, Akhil trained in Australia, Italy and the UK with an eye on the Rio Olympics qualifiers last year. But a ligament injury scuppered his chances. With Vijender turning professional last year, Akhil would also get offers from Vijender’s promoter Neerav Tomar.
It was on Tomar’s insistence that he had taken part in Fight Nights, a semi-professional boxing event in 2005, and Akhil knows that lasting longer fights will be key on the professional circuit. “I have never thought about age being a factor. I remember getting cassettes and recordings of boxers like Sugar Ray, Ray Jones Jr. and Prince Naseem Hamed. What made them successful was footwork and stamina. When I made the decision to move to 60kg in 2014, I knew that stamina and determination will be my strength and that has still kept me in the game. Yes, missing the Rio qualifiers was a setback but I resumed training in May this year and trying something new is something which motivates me to start my professional career. Medals jitna ya harna alag bat hai, but boxing karta rahunga. And that’s what I would tell Neerav,” shared the veteran pugilist.
Akhil still remembers facing Cuban professional boxer and Sydney and Athens Olympics gold medallist Guillermo Ortiz before the Athens Games, and marks him down as a boxer to follow.
While the professional circuit has seen the return of boxers like Roy Jones Jr at the age of 46, Akhil believes he has the desire and the game plan to make an impact.
“I had faced Guillermo before the Athens Olympics in the test event and lost to him in the semi-finals. But he is still going strong in the professional circuit.Roy Jones Jr too made a comeback this year. The rounds will increase and there has to be some technical changes which I need to make, but boxing is boxing; mukke marne se zyada mukke khane ki taqat bhi honi chahiye yahan,” adds Kumar.
Coach Jaidev Bisht has seen Akhil from close quarters since his early days, and the national coach played a major role in Akhil’s return prior to the 2014 Asian Games, charting out a coaching and rehabilitation plan for the boxer.
‘Willing to take blows’
“People talk about Akhil’s open stance, but his strength all these years has also been the will to take the blows and determination to fight. And that’s what will help him on the professional circuit. It is his will power that has seen him training again after the ligament injury he suffered in November last year and he wanted to give it a go. Training has been the key and he has been doing it for the last six months. Initially, I would say he needs to show patience to settle in the professional circuit and see how the body responds. He has the stamina to fight for four or five or even more rounds, and spending time in the professional set-up will only help him,” shared Bisht.
Ask Akhil about the favourite memories of his amateur career and he replies without hesitation.
“Of course, the win over world champion Sergey Vodjopyanov in Beijing. He was unbeaten for two years and I defeated him. That win is worth more than a medal for me. I don’t know what lies ahead for me on the professional circuit but these lines by Atal Bihari Vajpayee are something which I believe in. Manzil milein na milein, ye alag baat hai, hum koshish hi na karen, yeh galat baat hai,” he concludes.
Pro Move
1. Known for his ‘open-guarded’ boxing style, Akhil Kumar shot into prominence with a gold medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the 54kg bantamweight category.
2. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Akhil defeated reigning world champion Sergey Vodopyanov in the Round of 16 before losing in the quarter-finals.
3. At the 2008 AIBA World Cup in Moscow, Akhil won a bronze medal after reaching the semi-finals.
4. Jitender Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games after reaching the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual gold medallist Don Broadhurst of England.
5. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he won his first two bouts convincingly, before losing to Russia’s Georgy Balakshin, a fight during which he had nine stitches in his jaw.
6. Akhil, Jitender and Vijender Kumar were the boxing triumvirate who were all medal prospects at Beijing 2008. However, only Vijender managed to reach the podium by winning a bronze medal, with the other two missing out narrowly.
Akhil Kumar follows Vijender Singh’s suit | The Indian Express
With his plans for qualifying for Rio Olympics going awry after suffering a ligament tear in November last year, it was a period which saw Akhil resuming training once again after an injury.
And on Tuesday, the 35-year-old announced he was turning professional along with Jitender as the duo confirmed their signing with IOS Entertainment, the same company which brought Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh into the professional fold.
“It was on my mind for the last three or four months and I would tell Jitu also to think about it. It’s been a challenge every time I suffered an injury and resumed training. But boxing made me do it and that’s what made me take this decision. I was keen to make the move after the AIBA decision to accept professional boxers. My wife, who is a coach now and had travelled with the Indian team to Rio and also to the professional qualifiers in Venezuela, would also tell me that I could have qualified for Rio too,” shares Akhil, who first came into the national senior camp in 2001.
With his last major tournament being the 2014 Asian Games, where he featured in the 60kg category, Akhil trained in Australia, Italy and the UK with an eye on the Rio Olympics qualifiers last year. But a ligament injury scuppered his chances. With Vijender turning professional last year, Akhil would also get offers from Vijender’s promoter Neerav Tomar.
It was on Tomar’s insistence that he had taken part in Fight Nights, a semi-professional boxing event in 2005, and Akhil knows that lasting longer fights will be key on the professional circuit. “I have never thought about age being a factor. I remember getting cassettes and recordings of boxers like Sugar Ray, Ray Jones Jr. and Prince Naseem Hamed. What made them successful was footwork and stamina. When I made the decision to move to 60kg in 2014, I knew that stamina and determination will be my strength and that has still kept me in the game. Yes, missing the Rio qualifiers was a setback but I resumed training in May this year and trying something new is something which motivates me to start my professional career. Medals jitna ya harna alag bat hai, but boxing karta rahunga. And that’s what I would tell Neerav,” shared the veteran pugilist.
Akhil still remembers facing Cuban professional boxer and Sydney and Athens Olympics gold medallist Guillermo Ortiz before the Athens Games, and marks him down as a boxer to follow.
While the professional circuit has seen the return of boxers like Roy Jones Jr at the age of 46, Akhil believes he has the desire and the game plan to make an impact.
“I had faced Guillermo before the Athens Olympics in the test event and lost to him in the semi-finals. But he is still going strong in the professional circuit.Roy Jones Jr too made a comeback this year. The rounds will increase and there has to be some technical changes which I need to make, but boxing is boxing; mukke marne se zyada mukke khane ki taqat bhi honi chahiye yahan,” adds Kumar.
Coach Jaidev Bisht has seen Akhil from close quarters since his early days, and the national coach played a major role in Akhil’s return prior to the 2014 Asian Games, charting out a coaching and rehabilitation plan for the boxer.
‘Willing to take blows’
“People talk about Akhil’s open stance, but his strength all these years has also been the will to take the blows and determination to fight. And that’s what will help him on the professional circuit. It is his will power that has seen him training again after the ligament injury he suffered in November last year and he wanted to give it a go. Training has been the key and he has been doing it for the last six months. Initially, I would say he needs to show patience to settle in the professional circuit and see how the body responds. He has the stamina to fight for four or five or even more rounds, and spending time in the professional set-up will only help him,” shared Bisht.
Ask Akhil about the favourite memories of his amateur career and he replies without hesitation.
“Of course, the win over world champion Sergey Vodjopyanov in Beijing. He was unbeaten for two years and I defeated him. That win is worth more than a medal for me. I don’t know what lies ahead for me on the professional circuit but these lines by Atal Bihari Vajpayee are something which I believe in. Manzil milein na milein, ye alag baat hai, hum koshish hi na karen, yeh galat baat hai,” he concludes.
Pro Move
1. Known for his ‘open-guarded’ boxing style, Akhil Kumar shot into prominence with a gold medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the 54kg bantamweight category.
2. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Akhil defeated reigning world champion Sergey Vodopyanov in the Round of 16 before losing in the quarter-finals.
3. At the 2008 AIBA World Cup in Moscow, Akhil won a bronze medal after reaching the semi-finals.
4. Jitender Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games after reaching the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual gold medallist Don Broadhurst of England.
5. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he won his first two bouts convincingly, before losing to Russia’s Georgy Balakshin, a fight during which he had nine stitches in his jaw.
6. Akhil, Jitender and Vijender Kumar were the boxing triumvirate who were all medal prospects at Beijing 2008. However, only Vijender managed to reach the podium by winning a bronze medal, with the other two missing out narrowly.
Akhil Kumar follows Vijender Singh’s suit | The Indian Express
