Boxer Sumit Kundu secured a place in the Indian squad in the men’s 70kg division after delivering a stunning performance at the selection trials for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. The last few years were tough for Kundu, who battled injuries and even thought about quitting the game. For the unversed, Sumit had suffered an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tear and a meniscus tear at the national championship during the Paris Olympics qualifiers, which forced him to miss action for nearly two years and eventually ruled him out of the Paris Olympics.
But he’s back chasing the medals. Representing the Army, he defeated Deepak in the final on Friday. During the campaign, he also got the better of World Cup gold medalist Hitesh Gulia in the semifinal.
“It took a lot of time for me to make a comeback, almost two years. I am happy that I have won the selection,” Sumit told TOI after his bout. The boxer underwent surgery and rehabilitation in Mumbai for nearly one-and-a-half years, but the mental struggle proved even tougher.
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“Thoughts crossed my mind to quit boxing. It looked like I won’t be able to box again. After rehab, I didn’t feel the same energy in my knees. I felt my boxing career was over,” he added.
Sumit revealed that he kept the injury hidden from his family, adding that only after he had a word with his childhood coach Ved Prakash, other trainers and family members, he was able to regain confidence to return to the ring. Sumit used to compete in the 75 Kg category but has now shifted to 70Kg category and he said that the shift fits better.
“When I started boxing, I used to compete around this weight. Because of the ligament injury earlier, cutting weight was difficult. Now I am finally happy to make a strong comeback,” he added.
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Final CWG, Asiad squad:
Women: Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jasmine Lamboria (57kg, only CWG), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Parveen Hooda (65kg), Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg, only CWG), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg).
Men: Jadumani Singh (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Aditya Pratap Singh (65kg, only CWG), Sumit Kundu (70kg), Ankush (80kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg) and Narendra Berwal (+90kg).
