CHENNAI: Come rain or shine, the Sharma Nagar Corporation Ground at Vyasarpadi echoes oohs and aahs at the crack of dawn. A group of young boxers sporting jerseys and boxing gloves are busy warming up for their daily practice sessions. They jump and jog on the spot, performing exercises in a harmonious display of dedication.
Donning a pair of bright gloves, S Vishvanath frowns in concentration as he lets loose a volley of punches at his trainer, Logachandran J. He counterattacks and evades the retaliating blows forcefully, as sweat trickles down his shoulder. It’s been only a month since Vishvanath won a gold medal at the Asian Boxing Championship in Dubai, but the 15-year-old is already busy preparing for the National Juniors to be held in December this year.
Like father, like son
Vishvanath’s father, M Suresh Babu, was a champion boxer many years back. He has won a gold medal at state-level and silver at national-level events. “I was into boxing for four to five years and was invited to join the Army Sports Institute. I couldn’t join due to financial issues and gave up boxing. The fire inside me was still burning, and I decided to encourage my son to pursue boxing full-time. I taught him until he was professionally enrolled in a training institute. He’s fulfilling my dream now,” said Suresh, a tailor.
His son has been learning boxing from class six. After a few losses early on, Vishvanath went on to consistently bag gold medals. Starting at school matches and moving to national and international tournaments, he has thus far won 22 medals.
The 15-year-old was selected by the Army Sports Institute in Pune in 2018, and is one of the six out of 1,400 candidates from different parts of India and the only one from south India to be selected. A boxer must have participated or won medals at the national level to be eligible for the selection process. Vishvanath’s tenure at the institute over the last year has exposed him to a competitive environment with all required facilities.
Block and tackle
“The early days of training were difficult. I would cry, crib and get disappointed. With constant support, I eventually developed the spirit to face the sport as a game. A boxer can play any game, but not every sportsman can box. It requires years of experience, dedication, focus and self-confidence.
Now, I practice for three hours each in the morning and afternoon. The Tamil Nadu Boxing Association has been of great help, but more boxing tournaments must be held to bring hidden talents to the fore,” said Vishvanath, a resident of Perambur. His goal is to take part in the Olympics to be held in 2024.
Master-disciple duo
The young boxer attributes his success to his coach Logachandran, who started The King Makers Boxing Club along with another boxer, Syed Najeeb, four months back. They have 20 students, all from underprivileged backgrounds.
“Trainers must see a student’s talent and nurture them instead of focusing on the commercial aspect. Boxers are often seen from a negative perspective because of the nature of the sport. We need more awareness and parents must motivate children to join. If they work hard and excel in the game, they can enter Army Sports Institute or any service sector through the sports quota. The kids don’t even have a ring facility. Our well-wisher Prabhakaran GV from Vyasarpadi has been kind enough to support us with funds,” said Logachandran, who has been a referee and judge with Tamil Nadu Boxing Association for the past three years.
Powering the future
The duo shelled money from their pockets for their students’ travel expenses and equipment upkeep during matches. Logachandran ensures he accompanies all the students for all matches. One of his students, B Ramakrishnan, was the first Youth National Champion in the under-19 category in 2017. He hasn’t received a certificate for it yet. Despite aspiring boxers and talents in other unconventional sports, cricket continues to steal the limelight.
“There have been many successful boxers in the history of north Madras. I was told that earlier, people used to pay and watch these boxing matches. Now there are hardly any happening in the city. We are waiting for an appointment to meet the CM. It would be helpful if the government supports us with a cash prize and recognition. We have a long way to go,” said Logachandran, hopefully.
For details, call: 7299487686 or mail to kingmakersboxing@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page: The King Makers