Though no one took him into account before the Olympic Games began, his quarterfinal loss came as a shock. Such was his sharp rise to fame.
Akhil Kumar burst onto the scene in Beijing with attitude, power, grit and an innovative technique. Though no one took him into account before the Olympic Games began, his quarterfinal loss came as a shock. Such was his sharp rise to fame.
Akhil is yet to get over his Beijing defeat. The bout still haunts him. “I wasn’t patient enough. I wanted to finish it off as quickly as possible,” he says.
The feisty boxer has since taken part in the Moscow World Cup in December last year but the upcoming World Championships in Milan will be a sterner test of his mettle.
For one, everything has changed, from the points system to his category.
Akhil will compete in a new weight category, will face unknown boxers and must tackle a new point-scoring system. The odds may be heavily stacked against the 28-year-old but he is determined to return with gold.
“I haven’t boxed a lot after Beijing. The only outing was at the World Cup in December. I’ll enter the ring after nine months. I’ll compete in the 57kg category so I have my fingers crossed.”
A new division and scoring system will not force Akhil to change his style which won him a lot of fans. “As an athlete you never change what has brought you success. I’m trying to improve on it. I’m working on my reaction time and footwork to make it better.”
One factor which has worked in Akhil’s favour is that he no more needs to fight a battle against his natural bodyweight.
“Bringing down my weight from 55kg to 54kg was a big problem for me (Akhil used to compete in 54kg category previously). It used to make me cry. But now I don’t have to concentrate on reducing my weight as I can maintain my normal weight of 56kg.”
But of course the switch has some disadvantages too.
“I will face boxers whom I haven’t seen previously. I’ll have to be on my toes to guard against any surprises.”
On his chances at the World Championships in Milan, Akhil says, “I never enter the ring to lose. I always want to win. It will be same in Milan as well. I have become wiser after Beijing. I know what is expected of me.”
While away from the ring, Akhil was focused on improving his fitness and recovering from a hairline facture in his left wrist which forced him to miss the Asian championship in June in China.
“Fitness has never been an issue. In the new format the bouts are longer so the fitter you are, the more chances you have of progressing,” says Akhil.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}