New Delhi: Earlier this year, when Abhinash Jamwal defeated Shiva Thapa in the semi-final of Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship on his way to the 65kg title, he turned a new leaf in his fledgling career.
A 2015 World Championships bronze medallist, Thapa, despite being over the hill, has had little trouble dealing with domestic boxers. Just last year, he had defeated Jamwal in Shillong on the way to national title, but this time, the youngster had his moment.
That was just the beginning of what is turning out to be a remarkable season for Jamwal. The 22-year-old went on to win a silver each in the twin legs of World Boxing Cup in Brazil and Kazakhstan and followed it with topping the BFI interim committee’s week-long assessment in Patiala that earned him a first-ever berth for a senior World Championships. The Worlds will be played in Liverpool from September 4-14.
“I am eagerly looking forward to it. I have learned a lot from my recent international outings and have been refining my technique in the camp,” Jamwal said. Among the major learnings that he alluded to is the need to maintain intensity through the three rounds and look to dominate the opponent.
“The judges tend to lean towards the boxer who is assertive. I usually take the first round slow and attack in the next two, but that strategy needs to change if I want to win at the international level,” he added.
Jamwal, along with 70kg boxer Hitesh Gulia, are the only Indian boxers to medal at both World Cups this year. Interestingly, Jamwal lost both his finals to the same opponent, Brazil’s Yuri Falcao. The latter defeated the Indian 5-0 in Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) while their Astana showdown was much closer with Falcao winning 3-2.
“He (Falcao) is a good boxer but I don’t think he won because of some glaring technical deficiency in my game. I put on a much improved show in Astana and the coaches told me that the bout could have gone either way. If we meet at the World Championships in Liverpool, the result will be different,” he said of the fellow 22-year-old.
Early life
Hailing from Baloh village in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, Jamwal comes from a humble family. His father, Vijay Singh, is a retired Havaldar in the Dogra regiment of Indian army while his mother, Meena Kumari, was a district-level kabaddi player.
“Both my parents are fond of sports and encouraged me to take it up in earnest,” he said.
Jamwal’s foray into boxing happened when, aged 8, he was brought to Chandigarh by his maternal uncle Rajesh Bhaboria for better education prospects. Taking note of his bubbling energy, his uncle took him to boxing coach Joginder Kumar, an Assistant Sub Inspector in Punjab Police who coached kids in a public park.
In 2015, Jamwal participated in his first junior Nationals and a year later, was selected in SAI’s Sangrur’s centre. He broke into the junior national camp in 2018 and entered the senior camp in 2022 in the 63.5 kg class. It was a weight division dominated by Thapa and Manish Kaushik, but with both pugilists on their way down, the opportunity was ripe for Jamwal to step up.
“Shiva bhaiya is my idol. I have grown up watching his bouts and it was surreal to beat him this year. Even in defeat, he was very gracious and encouraged me to do better. Another boxer who I look up to is Vikas Krishan Yadav who has always been very supportive.”
Last year, Jamwal competed in the second Olympic qualifier in Bangkok as a replacement for Thapa and defeated Lithuania’s Andriejus Lavrenovas with a 5-0 verdict before losing to Columbia’s Jose Manuel Viafara in the second round.
“It was a great experience as it happened to be my first international exposure. I observed the foreign boxers closely and took mental notes, all of which came handy this year,” he said.
At the Worlds, Jamwal plans to rely on his superior reach to make an early impression. “I am 6 feet tall which is a rarity in my weight class. I will look to use my reach to collect some points early on. Once I have sussed out the opponent, I can really go on the offensive,” he concluded.