CHENNAI: Gaurav Solanki had generated quite a buzz not so long ago by winning the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in his very first attempt. A handsome feat for any budding star. And that could not have come at a better time for the boxer from Haryana — just two years ahead of the
Tokyo Olympics.
Solanki, along with the coaches, had just about enough time in hand to build on that breakthrough victory.
However, his joy was short-lived. In the very next tournament (Asiad), the army man failed to live up to the rigours of the sport, crashing out in the first round itself.
It’s been a tough journey for Solanki since that eye-opening knock. With serious competition in the national camp, he had taken the backseat and there were doubts if he could pick himself up on time to live his Olympic dream.But for a man who had beaten the odds to make it so far in the sport, the place that he found himself in was nothing new. He knew he just had to be patient, put his head down, train hard and make the most of the rare chances that he gets.
And that hard work has borne fruit as he cashed in his chance by winning the recently-concluded selection trials for the 1st Olympic Qualifier event to be held in China. In the process, he outdid the experienced Kavinder Singh Bisht and went on to beat national champ Mohammad Hussamuddin. “It was a great experience. I had big expectations for myself and everything went according to plan,” Solanki said.
Expectations had swelled after a silver medal in the Umakhnov Memorial International boxing meet in Russia. That incidentally was his first big test after shifting from 52 kg to 57 kg. He said that he had just focussed on the basics. “I had worked on my strength and technique in the last few months.”
CA Kuttappa, the men’s national chief coach, has seen him sweat hard from close quarters and lauded his level of dedication. “I don’t have to tell him much. He puts the hard yards during the training,” Kuttappa noted.
However, the Dronacharya awardee was not satisfied by his ward’s boxing style during the trials that were held in Ballary. “Credit to him, he won tough bouts against Kavinder and Hussamuddin. But you cannot play safe. But I felt he was a little too defensive and he didn’t throw many punches. At the international level, boxers from his weight category are quick and one needs to execute more punches in order for it to become a success,” he noted.
That’s Kuttappa’s focus right now as he looks to bring the best out of Solanki’s abilities ahead of the crucial Olympic qualifiers scheduled to be held early next month.
Solanki, likewise, is aware that he still has plenty to work on and he’s determined to leave no stone unturned in his quest for an Olympic quota. “Like everyone, I have my strengths and weaknesses. I’ll just look to focus on my weakness and work on them in the days to come,” Solanki signed off.