Boxer Younam Kamboj from Chandigarh with coach Bhagwant Singh (with turban) after winning the gold medal at Chandigarh University in Mohali on Tuesday. Jasbir MalhiOn Tuesday evening, as 16-year-old Chandigarh boxer Younam Kamboj scripted a 3-2 win over Harsh Gill of Services to become the champion in the men’s 80 kg category in the Second Junior Men National Boxing Championship being organised by the Boxing Federation of India at Chandigarh University, the youngster was surrounded by his coach Bhagwant Singh and father Rajinder Kumar. While his father was a state-level kabaddi player, Kamboj won Chandigarh’s first gold medal in the two-year history of BFI Junior Nationals. The youngster was also adjudged as the best emerging boxer of the championship.
“My father had played kabaddi at state-level but never won any medal at the national level. Later, he started working as a property dealer. He never forced me to think about joining his business and supported my dream of becoming a boxer. Before the nationals last year, I suffered an injury to my hand and could not participate. Winning the gold medal here is a special feeling and the fact that it is Chandigarh’s first-ever gold medal in BFI Junior nationals makes it more special for me,” said Kamboj, who is a student of SD Public School, Chandigarh.
The youngster started boxing at Boxing Coaching Centre, Sector 42, in 2014 and became the Chandigarh state champion in 2016 and 2017. Earlier this year, Kamboj won the bronze medal in the SGFI School National Games played at Guwahati. While the Services boxers won nine gold medals out of 13 on Tuesday, Kamboj’s final win came against Harsh Gill of Services. “Winning the title against a boxer from Services will boost my confidence a lot. It will also mean that I will be joining the junior national camp. Winning the bronze medal in Guwahati too boosted my confidence ahead of the nationals. I met 2014 CWG solver medallist L Devendro Singh this year and he told me to stay calm and play with a relaxed mind. I hope to win medals for India at the international level too,” Kamboj said.
Three Chandigarh boxers — Neha Jangra (women’s 54 kg), Rahul (75 kg) and Seerat Khera (+80 kg) — too won bronze medals. Coach Bhagwant Singh believes that this gold medal will boost Kamboj’s confidence. “When he came to train at BCC-42, he understood the game well. His biggest strength has been understanding the technique required for winning in higher weight categories and he displayed that today against a boxer from a team like Services,” the coach said.
