Inspired by Neeraj Chopra, Youth Olympic champion Gunjan sets sights on senior stage

For Gunjan, the inspiration to take up sport came from an Olympic gold medal, but it was not a javelin that she picked up after watching Neeraj Chopra's historic triumph at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Instead, she found herself drawn towards boxing, a decision that has now taken her to the top of the podium at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

The 17-year-old from Haryana returned home with a piece of history, having become the first Indian woman boxer to win gold at the Youth Olympics. Gunjan defeated Algeria's Bouthaina Bensalah 5-0 in the women's 48kg final, adding to L Ambekar Meetei's gold in the men's 50kg category as India registered its first-ever double gold in boxing at the Games.

Interestingly, before Neeraj's Olympic triumph, Gunjan had not played any sport. It was a newspaper feature on the javelin thrower's achievement that made her believe she too could represent India and win an Olympic medal.

"I was not playing any sport at that time. I saw Neeraj sir featured in a newspaper. That's when I thought, maybe I can do this too. I tried, and it worked out," Gunjan told PTI upon her return to Delhi.

There was no particular reason behind choosing boxing over other sports, she said, adding that she simply developed a liking for the sport after watching different games.

"There is no specific reason for that. I mean, I had watched all the games, so I don't know why I liked boxing. So I took up boxing."

The support, particularly from her parents, has remained central to her journey. Gunjan recalled how her parents would take turns dropping her at the training centre and bringing her back, often twice a day.

"My parents have supported me immensely. Taking me to training every day and bringing me back, morning and evening, used to get very late. Waking up early in the morning in the cold, my mother used to drop me every day, and my father used to drop me too. There is a lot of struggle by them behind me," she said.

Her gold medal in Dakar also came after overcoming a difficult opponent in the semifinals. Gunjan defeated Great Britain's Lily Bassett 4-1, a boxer she had previously lost to in the final of the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok.

Aware of Bassett's strong uppercut, Gunjan said she had worked specifically on countering that punch during training at her academy.

"My coach made me practise a lot against the uppercut, and because of that, it did not have much effect this time," she said.

While there was some pressure before the contest, Gunjan said she managed to keep her focus once inside the ring.

"There was some pressure beforehand, but not during the bout. During the bout, I just thought that I had to give my best," she said.

Having negotiated the semifinal challenge, Gunjan went on to dominate the final against Bensalah, with all five judges scoring the contest in her favour.

The youngster, who is currently pursuing Class 12 in the Arts stream, said she manages to balance her studies with boxing and makes time for academics around her training schedule.

"As for studies and sports, well, when exams come around, I study, take the exams, and pass," she said.

With her junior career nearing its end, Gunjan has already started looking towards the next stage. She is set to move into the senior category after a year and has set her sights on major international competitions, including the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics.

"Right now, I have thought about the senior category, because after one year I will move up to seniors. I have planned for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics," she said.

Meetei, meanwhile, has his own story of overcoming odds before becoming India's first male boxer to win a Youth Olympic gold.

The Manipuri, who started boxing in 2018 at Nongada Boxing Academy in Imphal, recalled how the lack of basic equipment and financial resources made his journey difficult.

"There were no equipment, no gloves, and no money either. My mother and father supported me a lot. There were financial problems and no sponsors to help me travel for tournaments," he said.

Meetei, who named former Indian boxer Dingko Singh as his inspiration, has now set his sights on making the transition to the senior level and competing at bigger events.

"Next time, I am also targeting the senior Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed)