Don't be fooled by his baby face: Shiva Thapa

His face may remind you of your childhood classmate, his infectious smile reflects his chocolate-boy image and his fetish for colourful stylish attire adds to his persona. However, the 19-year-old's chosen vocation makes him a man of steel. Born to a karate instructor, Thapa's gloves started to make news since 2008 when he grabbed a bronze at the Children of Asia International Sports Games in Russia.

The boxer from Assam was the youngest to throw himself in the Olympic ring after beating Syria's Wessem Salamana in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers. Even though he lost in the final at the London Olympics, 2012, the recent addition to his cabinet is a gold medal (56kg title) he won at the Asian Boxing Championships in Jordan.

Such is his panache that Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), a non-profit organisation, decided to take him under its wing till the 2016 Olympics. With age on his side, this young sensation will surely to add to his list of wins.