Indian boxer rolls with the punches

He reads books, he plays chess, yet he punches the heaviest in the ring.

Finding inner peace through quiet hobbies has helped Indian heavyweight boxer Sanjeet Kumar reach an even state of mind in his approach to his day-to-day business of participating in one of the fiercest combat sports.

Win or lose, the ambitious pugilist with a strong build finds solace in reading, meditation and playing the strategic board game. And that's probably how he will recover from his latest setback in the ring at the 19th Asian Games.

"I will learn from this, get better and come back stronger for the next bout," Sanjeet said after getting eliminated in the round of 16 of the men's 92kg category at the Hangzhou Gymnasium on Wednesday.

Although landing a few combinations in the opening round, Sanjeet was outpunched 5-0 by world championship bronze medalist Lazizbek Mullojonov of Uzbekistan, who put up a dominant display and kept Sanjeet at bay throughout the three-round fight.

The defeat to the 2022 super heavyweight Asian champion denied Sanjeet's attempt to secure direct qualification for next year's Paris Olympics, which will be offered to each of the finalists in Hangzhou.

The 26-year-old southpaw, however, refused to let any loss deter the pursuit of a dream Olympic appearance.

"Sometimes I am doing good, sometimes I am doing bad. This is what's interesting in boxing," said Sanjeet. "Some crazy mistakes I made in one bout will help me fight better in the next. It's not done yet. I will have my time and I will win an Olympic medal for my country."

For those like Sanjeet, who fall short of making the direct qualification quota offered in each of the men's seven weight classes at the Asiad, two more world qualifying tournaments, scheduled for spring and early summer next year, will provide a second chance to make it to Paris.

Like many other Indian boxers or wrestlers, Sanjeet was born and raised in underprivileged conditions. He picked up the gloves at the age of eight, influenced by his cousin Sanjeev, a boxer fighting at the national level.

His talent lies not in power, but speed and, coupled with four hours of hard training a day and a strict diet, it soon propelled Sanjeet to international contention, underscored by his surprising 2021 Asian Championship title run, the highlight of his career to date.

Squaring off against 2016 Olympic silver medalist Vassiliy Levit of Kazakhstan in the final bout, underdog Sanjeet delivered a statement fight by throwing a flurry of punches as soon as the clock started ticking, subduing the two-time world championships bronze winner with a split decision win.

His progression took a hit, however, when he suffered a bicep tear in his left hand during the 2019 World Military Games in Chinese city Wuhan, forcing him to pull out of the Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.

The fact that no Indians have qualified for the Olympics in his weight category has further fueled Sanjeet's hunger to make it to amateur boxing's highest stage.

Although his Hangzhou exit is another setback on that path, Sanjeet's positive mindset, developed through reading inspirational sports autobiographies, has kept him at peace.

"A strong mind sharpens punches," he said.

"These books force you to strive for perfection in everything. Sometimes we think that we will do this and that before training, but then find we cannot complete all the tasks. But once you train your mind, then the process becomes easier," he explained in an interview with olympics.com