CHENNAI: Mandeep Jangra has been a forgotten man in recent times. But the boxer from Haryana is looking to reclaim his old glory in the ongoing Big Bout Indian Boxing League, being held in two venues — Greater Noida and New Delhi. The 26-year-old is using the league as a springboard to renew his game ahead of the Olympics next year.
“It’s (Big Bout) a great platform for all the boxers. The competition is tough and moreover, many people are following this league on television,” Mandeep (69 kg), who represents NE Rhinos, told this daily. This opportunity comes after a tough phase that he has endured in the last twelve months or so. With intense competition in the national camp, he had fallen out of favour of the coaches. Mandeep, who’s known for his open guard style, also felt that he was being treated unfairly by the selection committee.
“I had won gold in an international meet in Mongolia ahead of the 2018 Asiad but I was not selected for the Games. I was feeling downcast for some time. It was a tough period,” the Arjuna awardee said.Once regarded as one of the brightest talents in Indian boxing, Mandeep was staring at a bleak future then. That’s when he left the national camp and went solo. “I thought if I had stayed any longer, I would be demoralised further and would never be able to rise again.”
India high performance director Santiago Nieva is no stranger to such extreme measures taken by boxers. “This happens with a lot of boxers. Most of them leave the camp almost immediately, especially if you’re a senior boxer who was once No 1 and suddenly find yourself as a reserve. The nature of the sport is like that,” Nieva reasoned.
But being on your own carries its own risk. Training at The Rameshwaram Jangra Sports Trust, his own centre in Kharian, Sirsa district, Mandeep had to constantly assure his family that he was doing fine as they were worried about his status quo. Among other things, he said that he stayed away from social media and solely focussed on his punches. “I used to tell my family that I would quit boxing as they would suffer along with me, asking about my state of mind, my bouts etc. They had also grown tired of my pursuit for the sport, looking to keep me motivated.”
But digging deep on his own seems to be paying off so far in the league. Having won two bouts — beat Ashish Kulheria (Gujarat Giants) and Dinesh Dagar (Bengaluru Brawlers) — so far, he seemed upbeat. "To beat campers (India) is not easy. Your confidence is down when you’re not part of the camp. But after winning two bouts, I’m ready for more."
After the league, Mandeep is hopeful of rejoining the national camp and getting the chance to compete in the trials for Olympic qualifiers next year. Nieva, who is overseeing the national camp in Bellary, has been keeping track of the bouts and he is impressed by what he has seen so far of Mandeep’s performance. “He’s doing well. He has won two close bouts. Today one boxer can be good, tomorrow another boxer can overshadow him. Theoretically, he has a chance of coming back to the camp and even be part of the trials if he continues to perform well.” If he manages to do that, it will be a remarkable turnaround.