Boxing demonstrates its punches at Khelo India Beach Games in hope of promoting sport in Union Territory

At the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) in Diu on Ghoghla beach, Tug of War and Mallakhamb were the two demonstration sports originally announced. But on Friday evening, where the poles and ropes of Mallakhamb were kept, now stood a boxing ring. Inside it was 37-year-old Suman Vijay Pahal absorbing punches from a junior almost half her age.

In 2009, Suman was among a few Indian boxers who had gone to Sweden for an invitational tournament. One of the others was Mary Kom, Suman’s senior. About 16 years later, Suman now stays in Daman – dividing her time between taking care of her kids and promoting the sport in the Union Territory.

“The main purpose behind doing this demonstration event is to encourage children to take up the sport and even include it in the Beach Games. In foreign countries, people gather in huge numbers and watch matches like a fight. They enjoy, have food, and see who can land the hardest punch. Here, not everyone can go indoors, or not all places will have indoor settings,” Suman told Sportstar about boxing’s last-minute inclusion as a demonstration sport at the KIBG, where boxers from the Union Territory showed their punches.

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Initially, the push was to have the sport as a medal event at the tournament. But according to Vijay Pahal – the Competition Manager and Suman’s husband – the Sports Authority of India (SAI) didn’t allow it as they defined boxing as an indoor sport. In last year’s Beach Games, which wasn’t under Khelo India, boxing was a medal event.

“Boxing wasn’t in the original schedule of the tournament. But seeing that the sport is one of the better performing ones from the Union Territory, this was done to showcase the talent our boxers possess. It is to show the level boxing has achieved here,” Vijay, who essentially introduced the sport to Daman in 2010 and now is a coach to most of the pugilists on display, explained.

To bring back the craze with financial support

According to sisters Muskan and Priyanka Banerje, who are 18 and 16 years old respectively, the sport in the Union Territory is doing just fine. The two, who wish to continue donning their gloves in hopes of playing it professionally, maintained that whoever is determined in boxing will do well.

However 15-year-old Advaya Ramkushal Shukla, who began boxing after being inspired by Canelo Alvarez, felt there’s a need to resurrect the excitement that was once there around the sport in the UT.

“Boxing is good in Daman but the craze is less. Facilities are there but they can be better. Better training will help take the sport forward. There was a lot of josh in pre-Covid times because the sport was new and everyone was excited. It has fizzled out now because the training isn’t as frequent. Even the state of our rings isn’t that great. Only a coach can make an athlete so training more often is very important,” the teenager said.

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“This [demonstration] will help because the craze will increase, people will watch it on the news. Boxing here will get a push,” he added.

Suman, who works for the Western Railways, said how her perspective changed after shifting to this side of the country, which has helped her continue boxing without a second thought. “As soon as I came from Haryana to this side of the country – the West – my mind completely opened up. There’s no harassment, no one cares when you’re going out, no fighting. This has strengthened my mind. My age isn’t defining me. I don’t feel that I’m coming up against younger boxers,” she, who even takes part in 10k marathons, said.

Like many sports in India, boxing too faces the lack of support from the stakeholders and governments. “The craze has increased a bit. There are a lot of athletes who come from financially poor households. If they can get scholarships, like States like Haryana provide, then it can help them. It’ll motivate them. After a point, they feel like giving up because of lack of support,” Suman added.

The Union Territory has shown glimpses of being able to punch above its weight at the Khelo India Youth Games level, having won a few medals in previous editions, but the region needs a lot more than just gloves to harvest pugilism’s potential.