CHENNAI: Some of the boxers’ Olympic journey has resumed with SAI camp on in NIS, Patiala. But there are others who are waiting in the wings. Take the case of Gaurav Bidhuri, a boxer who was in the spotlight in 2017 when he had surprised many to become India’s fourth medallist at the coveted World Championships.
While three of his fellow 57kg pugilists train under the watchful eyes of the coaches for next year’s Olympic qualifiers, Bidhuri has been fighting a solo battle at his home in Delhi, staring at an uncertain future. In fact, this has been his narrative since 2018, a year where he had missed out on Asiad and Commonwealth Games, having failed to meet the criterion set by the Boxing Federation of India. The fact that other boxers in his category has also stepped up has not helped his case.
The theme has continued as he was not considered for trials ahead of Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifiers.
With the 57kg quota still up for grabs, Bidhuri considers the postponement of Olympics qualifers as a blessing in disguise as boxers like will have more time in hand to prove their salt. “My Olympic dream was about to get over. I’m hopeful that I can get a chance this time. For now, they have called the top three boxers in the camp. It’s understandable to have less boxers during the pandemic,” he says.
Training at home has understandably been a big task for the 27-year-old as he tries to stay in shape ahead of crucial months ahead. “Training at home is not impossible, but it’s difficult to maintain proper decorum. We make excuses to ourselves and tend to miss out on certain things that we would do during proper national camp.” Maintaining weight is one key aspect for boxers. Being away from the rigours of the national camp has meant he has gained a few kilograms.
But with the coronavirus-imposed restrictions gradually easing with time, Bidhuri has resorted to running and cycling in order to keep his weight in check. “During the start of pandemic, I couldn’t do much. Moreover, my mother was making good food at home and I had plenty. So naturally, I had gained a bit of weight. But in the last one or two months, it has come down. I have been jogging, cycling in recent times, so things have improved.” Away from boxing, Bidhuri has been trying his hand in vlogging and has launched his own channel on YouTube. “At the start I was giving haircuts to my cousins. I was also cooking, experimenting in the kitchen. In recent times, I’ve started vlogging. I made a YouTube channel, doing all the content and editing myself. It’s good.”