The Hindu : Sport : Indians ready to take on the challenge

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Saturday, Aug 09, 2008
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Indians ready to take on the challenge

Special Correspondent

BEIJING: The Indian boxers are attempting to make history. The good thing is that they believe that it’s easy.

Akhil Kumar and Vijender have been in so much focus in the media in the build-up to the Beijing Games that it looks that they have already achieved that elusive Olympic medal.

After Gurcharan Singh had missed a medal in the Sydney Games in 2000 in the last few seconds, in a heart-breaking fashion after a tie, as he had failed to evade a punch while leading by one point, Indian boxing has done very well to jump back to start talking about an Olympic medal all over again.

There has been a lot of change, but the coaches remain the same. National coach Gurbax Sandhu and the Cuban expert B.I. Fernandez have combined yet again to possibly enact something that they could not achieve the last time.

“I can see tremendous confidence in these boxers. They are not worried about the draw or anything. They are ready to take on anybody in the world. It is a healthy sign, and not overconfidence,” says Fernandez, quite an Indian at heart as he has been associated with Indian boxing for more than a decade and a half.

Having recorded victories over a clutch of world-class boxers, including the ‘best boxer’ of the last Olympics, Bakhtiyar Atrayev of Kazakhstan in the run-up to the Beijing Games, the Indian boxers look ready for the challenge.

For all that they have all talked, especially about the gold medal by Akhil Kumar, the boxers have to prove themselves in the Olympic ring. They have the unenviable task of having to provide substance to what they are talking.

Akhil Kumar starts in the bantamweight class with his first bout on August 12, against Ali Hallab of France, in a field that has 27 boxers. Four of them were lucky to be seeded into the pre-quarterfinals and Akhil was not one of them.

Vijender, unlucky not to get a better medal than the bronze in the last Asian Games at Doha, will open his challenge in the 75-kg middle-weight class with a fight against G. J. Jack Badou (GAM) in the evening on the opening day.

No byes

Of course, none of the Indian boxers has a bye, and has to work his way to the business end of the contest.

Dinesh Kumar, in the light-heavy weight section will lock horns against Abdelhafid Benchabla of Algeria on the opening day itself. The dark horse Jitender Kumar will fight Furkan Ullas Memis of Turkey in the flyweight class on August 12; while Anthresh Lalit Lakra will challenge Bahodirjon Sultonov of Uzbekistan on August 11. It is one bout at a time, and there is plenty of time left to gauge the field, and prepare appropriately for the challenges ahead.

Can the Indian boxers break the jinx in the Olympic Games, is what remains to be seen. Well, nothing comes easy. Especially an Olympic medal. You have got to earn it.

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