Internet Desk: After the massive failure of Indian boxers in Rio 2016, at first Indian boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu raised voice against the stagnant situation of boxing association of this country. Now it is the time for boxer Manoj Kumar. Claiming Indian boxing as ‘dying’ he proposed to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Boxing is dying because of all that has happened in the last four years. I want to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to plead with him to intervene,” Manoj said.
The Haryana boxer who fought for India in the light welter weight(64kg) category of Rio Olympics, was bowed out from the round of 16. Now Manoj Kumar claimed that he could win at al Bronze if he had the support from the Indian administrative part.
He claimed, “I am sure that I would have won a medal if India was not suspended from the International Boxing Association (AIBA). Had the first round in that pre-quarterfinal bout gone in my favour, the result would have been different.”
This time prior to the Olympics and after the Games too the Indian government claimed that they helped the Olympians a lot in different aspects. However, this the first time since 2008 nobody from the boxing arena could earn a Medal.
Manoj hit the lack of administration from this point. He said, “I never got the support that some others got. I have had to face so much in trying to just qualify. Nobody backed me, and by that I mean nobody. I was never considered a prospect, never given any financial support to prepare.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced of task force to prepare Indian sports persons for the next three Olympics, now Manoj thinks that he should go to the Prime Minister for the betterment of Indian boxing. He mocked the downward situation of India in this way, “There has been no National Championship. Where is the next batch of boxers? Boxing has been destroyed”.