Firstpost.com takes a quick look at boxer Ashish Kumar’s performances over the past two years, and charts his journey towards securing Olympic qualification.
File image of Ashish Kumar. Photo Credit: Boxing Federation of India
Editor’s Note: For five years now, Indian athletes have been dreaming to make up for the disappointment of a two-medal haul in Rio. The span has been extraordinary, with COVID-19 having thrown their preparations – and the Olympics itself – off gear. However, in true Olympic spirit, the country’s finest sportspersons have battled form and uncertainty to put their best foot forward in what promises to be a Games like none other. In our latest series, we track the last two years’ performances of our athletes to give you a ready guide to their form leading into the biggest sporting spectacle of the world.
Asian Games silver-medallist Ashish (75 kg) qualified for Tokyo Games when he made his way into the semi-final of the Asian/Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers in March 2020. He ended the tournament with a bronze medal.
In June 2019, Ashish won the biggest medal of his career, a gold at the Thailand Open. Making his debut at the World Championships in September 2019, Ashish couldn’t make an impact as he was eliminated in the second round. Next month in the boxing nationals, Ashish suffered a shock defeat against Rohit Tokas in the quarter-final. The boxer then earned a spot in the Olympic qualifiers by winning his bout against national champion and South Asian Games gold-medallist Ankit Khatana.
Ashish travelled to France in October 2020 after a big break due to the pandemic and won gold medal at the Alexis Vastine International Boxing Tournament ater his opponent from USA, Joseph Gerome Hiks, gave him a walkover due to injury in Nantes, France.
At the Boxam International Tournament in March 2021, Ashish got the better of Italy’s Remo Salvatti in a split 4-1 verdict to make the medal rounds. He had to withdraw on the eve of the final after he tested positive for COVID-19
. He successfully recovered later on and returned home to India.
In his last event before the Games – the Asian Boxing Championships in May 2021 – he suffered a close defeat (2-3) against World Championships and Asian Games medallist Abilkhan Amankul of Kazakhstan in their last-eight clash.
Click here to check out form guides for the rest of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
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