HYDERABAD :They say when a person takes a momentous, life-changing decision, the universe gives a little nudge, in the form of a small success, so as to encourage the person to continue on his/her path. A similar thing happened to Divya Medi, when she gave up badminton to choose boxing. And within three months of making that decision in 2010, she won a bronze medal in the 2010 sub-juniors boxing championship held in Tamil Nadu. “Initially, I was interested in badminton, and had played at the national level. However, to represent the state, there must be a team. This proved to be a setback, and my then coach Mallesh advised me to opt for boxing.” And since then, she has not looked back.
Recently, Divya won gold at Chessboxing Amateur World Championship III, held at Antalya, Turkey, from December 12 to 15. Chessboxing is a hybrid format that combines alternating games of chess and boxing, with seven rounds in total.
The 26-yr-old took part in the Light Fly category (45 - 48 kg) in boxing. Her routine includes three hours of boxing practice every day, undergoing training in gym for an hour, apart from studying for three hours! Currently, she is pursuing her final year in MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology at Osmania University. How was the support from her parents and teachers? Divya avers, “My father encouraged and stood behind me firmly.
And our principal Prof D Ravinder, HoD Dr NR Giridhar, and my coach Pradeep supported me a lot.” On her goals, Divya says, “My dream is to represent India in boxing. I request the state government to provide financial support, so I can devote myself entirely to the game. In case the national games are held in 2020, I aim to represent Telangana and do my best to win gold.” Does she have anything to say to youngsters? “Nowadays, most of them are addicted to smartphones and whiling away time. Youth must have a well-defined goal and strive towards it,” she signs off.
One game at a time
Chessboxing Amateur World Championship 2018, Kolkata - First place
Federation Cup - 2018, Mumbai - First place
2nd National Chessboxing Championship, 2013, Tamil Nadu - First place
1st National Chessboxing Championship, 2013, Kolkata - First place
shyam@newindianexpress.com @shyamyadagiri