Back after a
seven-month injury lay-off, Olympian boxer Manish Kaushik reminded the critics
of his prowess in the men’s light welterweight category by winning the gold
medal at the 37th National Games in Goa and is now looking forward to
qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
Down with L4 and
L5 disc pain, the 2019 world championships bronze medallist was out of action
for a major part of the 2023 season.
His last
competition before the break was the Senior National Boxing Championships in
which he went down to arch-rival and six-time Asian championships medallist
Shiva Thapa of Assam in the semi-final bout.
“It was a tough
phase, I was down with severe pain in the disc. When I consulted the doctor, he
recommended complete rest to get over it, and the rest stretched to six-seven
months. I missed training sessions, and a couple of important tournaments,
including the Hangzhou Asian Games but at the same time it was necessary to get
my back in shape,” he said.
Having made his
comeback at the 21st Mustafa Hajrulahvoic Memorial tournament in Sarajevo,
Bosina and Herzegovina, Manish struck gold in September and has been training
rigorously to prepare for the 37th National Games, and subsequently the Senior
Nationals, starting November 24 in Shillong. Meghalaya.
On his way to the
gold medal at the Peddem Indoor Stadium in Goa, Manish had to rely on his
experience to get the better of Akash Gurkha of Goa in the final and was quick
to praise his opponent.
“He (Akash) is a
very good prospect. One can’t expect the final bout to be one-sided. It was a
good contest and I am happy that I could win the gold. Winning a gold at the
National Games is always special, and this will give me the confidence ahead of
the nationals,” he added.
With the Paris
Olympics quota places up for grabs, Manish said there will be no break ahead of
the national championships, as he is eyeing a gold to make it to the Olympic
qualifiers, slated to be held in Italy.
“That exactly is
the idea, and the gold at the National Games has come as a confidence booster.
The national championships will be a challenging one, also because it will be
held in the chilly conditions late November in Shillong. So, there will be no
breather from training, as the aim is to win the gold at the Nationals,” the
27-year-old maintained.
Manish is,
however, aware of the challenge that awaits him in the nationals, with
Guwahati-born Thapa, expected to relish boxing with a sizable home support for
him.
The two have been
each other’s biggest rivals on the domestic circuit in recent years and have
fought for supremacy to represent India in the light welterweight category. And
with a fit-again Manish gaining momentum from the National Games gold, it could
well be the most-awaited bout of the Senior Nationals, later this month.
ANI
