Boxing is a very tough game because it is played with the amalgam of skill, stamina, and technique. Boxing has been a passion and now a profession for Ashish Kumar.
Born on 18 July 1994, in Dhahotu village, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Kumar started boxing at a very early age. The most important achievement of his life is that he has “just qualified for the Tokyo Olympics” which are going to be held in 2021. Through his perseverance and skill, Kumar managed to win the gold medal in the Middle Weight Category (75 Kg.) in National Games held in Kerala in 2015. Similarly, he bagged a Silver in the Asian Boxing Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Currently, Kumar is working as a Tehsil Welfare Officer with the Himachal Pradesh government. “I belong to a sports family; my father was also a national level Kabaddi Player and my cousins namely are international wrestlers too. I have been training for the last two months here in NIS, Patiala, Punjab, under the aegis of Boxing Federation of India,” Kumar says,
“This national camp is being organised by the Sports Authority of India. Here, Santiago Nieva-High Performance Director (Coach), Chief National Coach K.C. Kuttapa along with coaches Lalit Prasad, D.S.Yadav, Jai Singh Patil, Khimanand Belwal are giving their best to improve my skill, Kumar added.
Kumar feels that the camp is taking care of the players rigorously and all the facilities are at their disposal. “Dr. Karamjeet Singh-Team Doctor and Physio Mohsin Khan are always ready to take care of our health and diet,” Kumas says. He further feels that participating in the camp has improved his game in myriad ways.
“When I joined the Camp at Patiala I was not so good, however under the efficient guidance of all the coaches and doctors my game and stamina have improved tenfold,” says Kumar. “In Himachal Pradesh, we consider our coach as our father. This is also a fact that we have been learning from them by leaps and bounds.”
Ashish further added that the coaches always motivate and help their players to achieve greater heights in life, and particularly in their specific games. “Half of the bout depends upon the coaches because they keenly observe their players—their shortages and their potential. Accordingly, they prepare their boxer in a manner to beat the opponent conveniently. Their instructions during bout-round-break time help and encourage them to win the game easily,” Kumar says.
While talking about the accomplishments, Ashish is determined that he will win India an Olympic medal. His entire family, friends, boxing colleagues, and coaches also have full faith in his potential to bring glory for the country.
While speaking about Big Bout session-1 in 2019, he revealed that an international level boxing event was helpful for him. He was the winner in Middle Weight Category last year and he gladly shared that he got very good playing exposure in the iTV Boxing Event Big Bout where he came across the national and international boxers on a single platform.
When asked about his inspirations, Kumar said: “As far as my role models are concerned, I am very much inspired by all-time great boxers like Mike Tyson, Mohammed Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Lomachenko. I follow them to achieve what they achieved in the field.”
The writer is the bureau head of Himalini magazine. He has written two books on media education and is the founder of Creatives Media World Academy.