Expert Speaks / Public Speaking
Interview of Shiva Thapa
Himani Goyal
11 Aug, 2016Shiva Thapa, an Indian boxer from Guwahati, Assam, India, participated in 2012 London Olympics. He was ranked 3rd in the bantamweight category in the AIBA Men's World Ranking. He is the youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics, third Indian to clinch Gold at the Asian Games and a strong contender for the 2016 Olympics.
Shiva Thapa says that his journey to Rio has been fraught with challenges, the toughest of his life. To know about his journey towards the 2016 Rio Olympics, read the excerpts from Times of India here:
You were the first Indian boxer to qualify for Rio that gave you enough time to prepare for the Games, how's it been this time?
I am a much more aggressive boxer now but I have to ensure that I never go overboard because if you lose control over aggression, you will end up looking absolutely silly inside the ring.
This will be your second Olympics. How will the experience gained in the first one help you? Did you find it difficult to overcome that disappointment of London and how you did it?
All the motivation received in first Olympics was overwhelming and at London, I was pretty focused on winning. But, unfortunately, it got over in a flash. However, I find something good in the most negative of situations. Now, I am a different person and a better boxer for sure. The last four years have been spent in making myself tougher and better. There is a lot more self belief in me than before.
Boxing Coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu said will be a different kind of pressure on Indian boxers since there is no federation in India. What's your view?
It's been disappointing, no doubt. That's why when I won my Olympic quota in China, it was more like overcoming a huge mental battle.
Does absence of Cuban Coach BI Fernandes affect the preparation?
I was disheartened at that time and he was an experienced coach. But, I kept believing in myself, and I still do.
Does it make a difference that only three boxers have qualified for Rio?
I am hopeful that, in the years to come, we will see more and more Indian boxers participating and qualifying for the Olympics.
How do you explain the decrease in number of qualification for the Olympics this time? Did the uncertainty over having a federation affected the boxers?
See, so much of the scoring and judging in boxing has become subjective, and you can't do much beyond what the judge has put on his score sheet. But we have hardly got a chance to compete under these new rules. In Patiala (at the National Camp), we may have the best sparring partners, but anyone will tell you that training and competition are completely different.
How are you keeping yourself motivated for the big stage?
When we go for a fight, it is a very quiet environment. And in that moment, when they call out your country, that word “India” leaves a deep impression on my mind. I drift into a different world, a different life where all I can think is; now I need to “go and get it!” I am filled with an inspiration to see the magic of my lifetime's worth of training. The motivation for me has always been to win and on any grounds. Everything else is inconsequential.
