After nationals glory, boxer Manish Kaushik aims Commonwealth, Asian Games birth

CHENNAI: Watching Vijender Singh get on the podium to receive his bronze medal in Beijing acted like a trigger in the mind of a 13-year-old boy from his hometown of Bhiwani, Haryana. From a slow-burning interest, boxing soon became a passion. A dream took shape. Manish Kaushik had visions of winning laurels on the biggest stage.

Incidentally, in the first nationals held in Guwahati last year, Shiva had beaten the Services boxer in the second round, a loss that made Manish even more determined to defeat the Assamese. "Before the nationals in Vishakhapatnam, I just hoped for a rematch with Shiva. What better stage than the final to get back my own. It felt great to beat such an established boxer. Shiva came up to me after the bout to congratulate me. Chief national coach SR Singh said that he always knew I had it in me to beat the best. All these words have made me an even more confident pugilist."

Manish started out at Sports Authority of India (Bhiwani) centre, where he was there for six years. He had quite a successful junior career, participating in the 2011 Junior World Championships, where he reached the quarterfinals as well as clinching silver at the 2011 Haider Aliyev Cup in Turkey.

The boxer made heads turn when he entered the senior fray two years ago. Winning two international medals (bronze at the President's Cup in Indonesia and gold at the Doha International Cup) made him realise that he belonged. With his most recent triumph, Manish just wants to keep improving. 

"I got into the Army Sports Institute in Pune, where I have been training under Narendra Rana. I'm going to be attending my first national camp at Patiala from November 6. The only way I see for myself is up.
Hailing from a lower middle-class joint family, money was not always easy to get."

While his father was a farmer and mother a house-wife, he also has two brothers and a sister. "When I started out, most people wanted me to follow my father's footsteps. Now that I have reached this level, everyone tells me that I have taken the right decision of following my passion. Even my younger brother has started boxing after looking at me. My aim now is to make the Commonwealth Games and Asian games squad. That will be a dream come true," he signed off.