Truth is stranger than fiction―an old adage―was proved right once more at the Karambir Nabun Chandra Bordoloi indoor stadium at the Sarasujai sports complex in Guwahati. At the AIBA Women’s World Youth Boxing Championships, India won gold medals in five of the ten weight categories―a unique feat. In the past, India had got just two gold medals at these youth (17-18 years old) World Championships, the last one being won by Sarujbala Devi in 2011.
A couple of years ago, to even imagine that India would finish ahead of Russia and USA in a world boxing championship would have been fantasy. But it happened in Guwahati, on November 26, 2017. India won five gold medals and two bronze, one more than Russia (two gold and four silver medals) to finish as the most successful nation in the meet.
Remarkably, all of India’s five teenaged world champions are girls from rural backgrounds and the first from their families to take to competitive sports. Despite parental opposition and financial difficulties, they overcame social barriers to become world champions.
Four of the gold medalists are from rural Haryana, where khap panchayats and social conservatism prevails. Jyoti Gulia (51kg category) would sneak out of her house with her boxing gloves and trained with Sudhir Hooda, the coach cum sarpanch of her Rurki village near Rohtak. Her father Maman Singh, a farmer, was selling the season’s crop and did not watch his daughter win a gold medal.
Nitu (48kg) developed her skills by running and shadow boxing in the village fields. Only Shashi Chopra (57kg), whose father is in the Indian Army got support from her immediate family. Both Sakshi Chowdhury (54kg) and Nitu honed their skills at the Bhiwani boxing club, where Vijender Singh’s career took off. It just shows the depth of talent available in India, if proper infrastructure and sporting environment can be created.
The other noticeable aspect is that these five young world champions are products of a system, not an individual’s unique talent and relentless ambition, which has been the case in Indian sports from Milkha Singh to Mary Kom. Creditably, the newly formed Boxing Federation of India (BFI) under the dynamic leadership of Ajay Singh (who also revived the fortunes of Spice Jet) has provided a system to develop young talent.
These promising boxers took part in international tournaments throughout 2017 such as the 6th Golden Glove Boxing Tournament in Serbia, the 31st International Ahmet Comert boxing tournament in Istanbul and the Balkan youth international boxing championships in Bulgaria. This regular exposure to high intensity foreign competitions ensured that the Indian girls did not get overawed by foreign opposition.
Regular camps were held in India.
Raffaele the tactician
The success is due to the appointment of the revolutionary Italian coach Raffaele Bergamasco, whose unconventional training methods has transformed Indian boxers. Previously, the girls would spend two hours punching and shadow boxing. Now, the sessions are more lively and of high intensity. The girls train with music on, so that they move quicker on their feet. The focus has been on improving their footwork, technique and ability to spot openings and land punches on target. They all have a big heart and are thinking boxers. Between rounds, he always kept telling the girls, use your eyes and brains.
Raffaele is a great tactician. Till the semi finals, the Indian boxers would start slowly and attack in spurts with a flurry of punches. In the finals, he changed the strategy of the five boxers Nitu (48kg), Jyoti Gulia (51kg), Sakshi Chowdhury (54kg), Shashi Chopra (57kg) and Ankushita Boro (64kg). They started with a blitzkrieg and came out all guns blazing. It took their opponents by surprise!
In the 48kg category, Nitu’s opponent, the highly rated and taller Zhazira Urakbayeva (Kazakhstan), was flummoxed and just could not take advantage of her long reach and quick jabs. Similarly, in the 51kg category, the short Jyoti Gulia did not let the fancied European champion Ekaterina Molchanova (Russia) settle. Jyoti, known as the dancing queen of the Indian team, used twinkling footwork to pummel her taller and well-built opponent and gain a unanimous points decision.
Raffaele’s ability to change strategy midway through a bout is remarkable. After the second round of the 54kg final, he asked Sakshi to use her hooks and upper cuts to tire out her Japanese opponent Sena Irie. Midway through the third round, the Japanese camp threw in the towel to save Irie further punishment.
The Italian coach’s popularity can be gauged that all the Indian gold medalists rushed to hug and affectionately fling their arms around Raffaele―the man who has changed their destiny. He definitely needs a long term contract.
Ankushita Boro (left) and Ekaterina Dynnik of Russia in the final bout of the women's light welterweight (64kg) category | AFP
More to come
Ankushita Boro, a Mary Kom fan who hails from the Ulubari village at Thelamara near Tezpur was chosen as the best boxer of the meet. This is also for the first time that any Indian has been chosen as the best pugilist in any world meet. Boro's father works as a probation teacher and her mother does social welfare work. Her parents could not afford their daughter’s expenses in boxing, when she became state champion in 2015. Her career took off when she joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Golaghat. At home, she slept on mud, in a bamboo hut. Now, with the Rs 2 lakh cheque that she got as a reward from Sarbananda Sonowal, chief minister of Assam, the family will construct two rooms in their house.
Two years ago, Boro became the first girl from her tribe to take part in competitive sports. Now, she is an iconic figure. Her feats have encouraged other young girls from her tribe to take to sports. Her own little sister has become a boxer. In Guwahati, her posters are visible in every nook and corner, from Paltan bazaar to the super markets and on the highways. She has become a symbol of Assamese pride.
The two bronze medals were won by Anupama in light heavyweight and Neha Yadav in the heavyweight (+81 kgs category). There were six girls from Haryana in the 10-member Indian contingent and all have won medals. The Haryana girls got four gold medals and two bronze. Three Indian girls, who lost in the earlier rounds, also performed well. In the entire competition, only one Indian girl Vanlalhriatpuii (Mizoram) lost to an Asian opponent, Aeji Im of Korea. Otherwise, the Indian girls outclassed their Asian opponents, including the fancied Kazakhs and the mighty Chinese, a sight rarely seen before.
