CHENNAI: Social media, if applied prudently, can be life-changing. Ask boxer Arundhati Choudhary and her first-ever coach Ashok Gautam, who taught her the basics of boxing after watching clips of premier boxers on YouTube. There were many at the start who dismissed that idea, understandably so. But what had begun as a novel initiative has now turned into something significant.
Arundhati being crowned the Commonwealth Games champion in Glasgow on Saturday was not just a milestone for her but also a victory for her family and her coach Ashok, who was mainly focussed in taekwondo and wushu at his training centre — Mahabali Sports Academy — in Kota.
Hailing from Kota, Rajasthan, Arundhati was into basketball but Suresh wanted her to pursue an individual sport like badminton or tennis but Arundhati preferred boxing. But they had major issue — boxing in Kota was non-existent at the time. That's when Suresh's friend recommended him to Ashok, a self-taught coach who had become a go to man for students looking to learn combat sports in his region.
Ashok, who's naturally stoked with Arundhati's latest exploits, recalled the tale.
"My trainees used to compete until the state level. Her father came to me saying 'I want my kid to represent India at the Olympics and you'll teach her'. His friend had recommended my name. His friend had informed him that I teach taekwondo and wushu and that my students also play boxing but my level in the latter is not very high," he said.
"In taekwondo and wushu, my trainees had played international-level matches. People in the community were aware of my contribution, that's why his friend had passed on my name to him," he added.
Despite trying his hand in wrestling, taekwondo, wushu and even boxing — he had competed at state-level competitions during his younger days — coaching athletes in the latter was a new beast.
"Since he had put faith in me, I wanted to see what I can do. I used to watch clips on YouTube. I used to watch clips of Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and other premier boxers. Gradually, I kept learning about their game, their techniques and started teaching Arundhati."
Arundhati being a diligent student made the task easier for him. "She was also a keen student. I used to reach the training venue around 5:30 AM. She'd reach one hour earlier and she'd be warmed up, hitting the bags etc, by the time I used to reach."
However, people continued to raise eyebrows watching Ashok train the likes of Arundhati. Suresh also used to get questioned about his decision frequently. "A lot of people used to tell her father, 'isko boxing thodi aati hai (he doesn't know boxing), he teaches taekwondo and wushu. Why are you wasting her career?'," Ashok said.
The outside noise was so much that Suresh was forced to set a make-or-break ultimatum for the coach. Arundhati, at the time, was aspiring to take part in the junior nationals. "Her father was ready to send her outside but Arundhati used to say 'if I have to continue training, I'll train under Ashok sir'. So her father had said 'please let her go outside if she happens to lose in the junior nationals'."
What transpired instead was Arundhati's excellence. Barely after 18 months under Ashok's watch, she wiped the floor against rivals from reputed states to win the nationals and return with 'best fighter award'. And with that, he had won the support of Suresh, who later confessed about his mistrust about his coaching. "A lot of people used to talk ill about your training methods. He said some were making allegations that I'm rude with trainees. On our way back, he disclosed all this."
Following that high, she joined the national camp in Rohtak, going on to capture her first international medals. It was not smooth sailing though. Change of environment had brought its own set of challenges. But Arundhati always had Ashok to lean on.
"Sometimes if she feels something is off in her game, she'll call me and say 'sir, I'm sending this video, please check it and give your analysis'.
When the world had come to a standstill during Coronavirus pandemic, the duo had reunited, training for a fair bit of time before Arundhati went on to become a youth world champion (2021) in Kielce Poland, a feat that caught the attention of many. Ashok's stocks also had risen considerably. "After that, more kids started lining up at our centre," he said. More trainees have gone on to represent the country in recent years.
Arundhati, meanwhile, was ready for the big league. The 23-year-old, who went on to join the Army later, off the ring issues —injuries and her mother was also unwell — but she was always destined for big things. Ashok, whose daughter is also into boxing and boxing, is just delighted to see his ward thrive. "She was gifted from the start. And she was no doubt hard-working. She used to lose her temper quite often and she used to fight with boys," he recalled, adding that she has evolved to become a mature operator on and off the ring.
"All she has achieved till date is due to her hard work. I have made a vow that I'll wear beads if only one of my students reaches the Olympics. I had made that vow in 2009. She had said that one day, she'll break that vow."
It will be hard to bet against Arundhati if she maintains her upward trend.