In the 80-year history of the Commonwealth Games, boxing has reigned as one of the most popular disciplines. It is part of a handful of events that has appeared in every edition of the CWG.
In the inaugural Commonwealth Games in 1930, the sport began with just five nations participating in it. However, in 2006 Melbourne the number of nations rose to 46.
Traditionally, England have dominated this discipline with a record medal haul of 106 medals, including 47 golds — almost twice as many as Canada, in second place, with 24.
In the last edition of the Games, England boxers topped the medal tally and finished runners-up to Australia in 2002, despite accumulating the most medals overall.
Indian pugilists made their first CWG appearance 1958 in the lightweight and middleweight categories. They had to wait for 12 more years for their first medal in the ring, with Shivaji Bhosle claiming bronze in the welterweight division.
Mohammad Ali Qamar was the first Indian pugilist to win a gold at the 2002 Manchester Games in the light flyweight division. Akhil Kumar emulated his feat in the 2006 edition, bringing back gold in the bantamweight category.
“It was an amazing feeling to claim gold in the final. It was especially special since I was trailing 4-5 after the opening round and come back and win the title was amazing,” Qamar said.
Apart from Akhil, Harpreet Singh (silver, 91 kg), Vijender Singh (silver, 75 kg), Jitender Kumar (bronze, 51 kg) and Varghese Johnson (bronze, 91+ kg) also won medals for India in 2006. The hosts are now out to double their haul at the October 3-14 Games.
Vijender, who is the World No. 1 middleweight boxer, is upbeat about the event. “It’s been nearly two years since I won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That one medal was probably the turning point of my career, giving me the confidence that I could compete with the best consistently,” he recalls.
“A bronze at the World Championships in Milan strengthened my belief and now just earning a medal won’t do. Anything less than a gold remains a disappointment for me,” he said.
About the preparations, “Our preparation for the CWG and Asian Games has been really thorough. After Beijing, we have been training regularly at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. The squad is like a small family now,” said Vijender.
“With the event taking place in Delhi, Indian boxers will be one of the strongest contenders. When the crowd is chanting, “Ek punch aur, ek punch aur,” it sends your confidence to another level,” he added.
Ringside view
* Winning the gold medal in 2006 Games was not easy. I defeated a South African boxer in the semis, who had been a quarterfinalist at the Athens Olympics. In the final, I was struggling with a bicep injury but still managed to win 22-12.
* I participated in the Athens Olympics as well but only got recognition after winning the CWG gold medal. There was plenty of media coverage and I also won a scholarship from the Sports Authority of India for 2008 Olympic preparation.
* Injuries have been a major concern for me throughout my career. Last year I had hairline fractures on both my wrist. This year I was supposed to take part in the National Championships but injured my left knee.
* If I can manage to stay fit, I can surely defend my
bantamweight title at the Delhi Games.
Akhil Kumar won the bantamweight gold in 2006 Commonwealth Games
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