CHENNAI: Not so long ago, Deepak Bhoria was one of the leading faces in men's boxing in the country. After a timely medal at 2023 World Championships, just a year before the coveted Olympic Games, things were looking bright for the Haryana pugilist. But that light faded off as soon as he lost during a crucial Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy in early 2024 summer.
Currently featuring in the BFI Cup 2025 at the VIT, here, Deepak has made peace with that setback and is plotting to make a comeback in the national team. The top-two finishers from the ongoing event will be included in the national camp.
With the 2028 LA Olympics in mind, Deepak is competing in a new weight category, shifting from 51kg to 55kg. Needless to say, it has been a rather tough road to recovery for the 28-year-old from Haryana.
"I had an injury to my right hand (wrist) and I had to undergo rehab for that. That was not too serious though. I haven't had much competition in the last one year or so. What I have in my mind right now is to be properly ready in order to enter the camp," Deepak told The New Indian Express.
Away from the limelight, Deepak said he had been studying the game from afar, learning a thing or two and totally committed to individual training with future in mind.
"It's an individual sport. We have to manage ourselves. If you're out of the camp, you don't get any tournaments. During that time, I was just working on myself. The game is changing now, there are boxers who are employing more power punches, boxers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. Watching them, we can also add a few things here and there. I want to bring in those changes... If I want to lift my game, I have to enter with an improved mindset. If I can do proper individual training when I'm out of the camp, I can carry that forward to the camp.
Having cruised in the opening two rounds of the Chennai meet, the Armyman is on path to his primary goal. On Friday, the Services pugilist defeated Sagar of Haryana by unanimous verdict (5-0). "It's good. I feel well. I have two fights. I just want to learn about myself, figure out what's necessary for me, the things that I need to improve. The main thing is that I want to work on strength, my power punches."
If he keeps up his winning run, he could potentially go on to meet fellow Services pugilist Amit Panghal, who also has similar aspirations.
After some introspection in the last one year or so, Deepak, with more understanding of the sport on his side, is looking to be well-rounded in the coming days.
"If I happen to be part of any international meet, I want to be in good form. That's the mindset. And moreover, I'm competing in a new weight category (55kg). I have to be prepared for the challenges that come along with it (new weight category). And there are major tournaments on the horizon, I have to be ready for that," Deepak, who's supported by Olympic Gold Quest, noted.
This is not the first time he's trying out the new weight category. In the 1st Chief of Army Staff Boxing Cup in Army Sports Institute, Pune, he had competed in the 55kg for the first time and had lost by split decision in the last-four stage. Having gotten a feel of the new category, he emphasized his need to boost his strength.
"Gaining weight is not an issue, but I had to work on my strength. I have to increase the level of strength required for this higher weight category. That's what I'm working on."
After the recent Liverpool World Championships setback, Deepak is aware that the door is open for the likes of him ahead of the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year. But he's also quick to ascertain that it's still early days for him.
"It's a step-by-step process. Next year's tournaments are crucial as there will be top pugilists from Asia who'll be participating. Last year most of the Asians had triumphed at the Paris Games and in the upcoming Asiad, elite boxers including Olympic champions from the continent will be participating. So if I happen to take part, I'll get more clarity on where I stand (in regards to Olympic ambitions), and what's required in order to be elite. So for now, I have to prepare myself to reach that level."
Given his levelheadedness and his drive to find solutions during challenging times, it will be interesting to see how things unfold for the bantamweight boxer in the days to come.