A few weeks ago,when Dingko Singh met fellow former Asian champion and his close ring buddy from his playing days,Raj Kumar Sangwan,he joked about how their golden club might finally see a new face. Recent Olympic glory and the ever-increasing pool of talented boxers gave Dingko reasons to expect an Indian to be on top of the podium at the Asian Boxing Championship in China. Last week,it was proved Dingko wasnt day-dreaming. Suranjoy Singh,Dingkos ward,broke a 15-year jinx to win the much-awaited Asian Championships gold medal. Way back in 1994,Sangwan was the last Indian to enjoy this high. A delighted Dingko says he will be getting on the phone with Sangwan soon and breaks into a smile second-guessing the inevitable conversation with his old mate. I havent been able to speak to Sangwan after Suranjoys medal,but I am sure he will tell me that even my Asian Games record is now under threat, says the 1998 Bangkok Asiad gold medallist with a laugh. Ironically,banter and camaraderie isnt rare in this brutal sport where ruthlessness is a virtue. When Suranjoy was taking part in the World Military Games in Hyderabad in October last year,Dingko couldnt be there as he was being tested for a coaching diploma at NIS,Patiala. But late-night phone calls spanning hours bridged the geographical divide between the coach and his special ward. I owe my gold medals at the World Military Games and the 2008 National Games to Dingko, says Suranjoy,who was the junior world champion in 2004. Asian upheaval There is an overwhelming atmosphere of optimism around the boxing circuit. Indian boxing hasnt just been about Olympic silver medallist Vijender Singh,who won a bronze at the Asian meet along with three others. The spotlight right now is on Suranjoys gold in the 51 kg category and the silver medals for Nanao Singh (48kg) and Jai Bhagwan (60 kg). Those in the know say there are a couple of reasons behind Indias best-ever show at the Asian Championships. The depth of Indias boxing pool is evident. Besides,there is a unanimous view among coaches and former players that medals at the highly-competitive Asian level are a sure sign of subsequent global glory. Dingko explains that second point further. Asian boxing has changed completely after the division of the Soviet Union in the late 80s. Figuring out their game was difficult,so when the break-up put countries like Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan into the Asian fold,our competition got tougher. For almost a decade,we struggled against them. But things are changing now. Akhil defeated Russian world champion Sergey Vodopyanov in the quarters at the Beijing Olympics and Vijender scored a win over Atoev Abbos of Uzbekistan at the Asian championships, Dingko says. Statistics back Dingkos observation. Before 1988,India had won 32 Asian Games medals. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union,the medal count has been a mere nine. But more success is predicted with Indias boxing assembly line rolling out gutsy glovemen who are smart enough to match boxers from the former Soviet bloc. Long-standing national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu,who has been a constant figure ring-side in each of Indias recent historic moments,speaks of the Dingko effect to make his point. Things changed after Dingko won the Asian Games gold. He was the role model for young boxers. We might not have won an Asiad gold since,but the pool had been gradually growing, says Sandhu,who has been associated with the Indian team in the last three Asian Championships triumphs. I have been lucky enough to be associated with the team in 1981,1994 and now. A lot of things have changed since I first went to an Asian meet. The game has transformed. Boxers have become technically sound and that is one of the main reasons for our success too, he says. Weight shift Another noticeable aspect of Indias recent success is the emergence of lightweight and middleweight boxers. Sandhu explains this shift. I am not trying to undermine the performance of the earlier boxers,but if we look at our record,most of the medals from 1972 to 1986 came in heavier categories. But over the years,our boxers have started doing well in the lighter weight categories as well. A lighter weight bout is more difficult as it requires a lot of technical knowledge. It is a bit like chess,where you apply your mind, says Sandhu. Most of Indias boxing heroes have hailed from Haryana and Manipur and experts at the Patiala training centre believe more will emerge from these hubs. OP Bhardwaj,the first boxing coach to win a Dronacharya award,explains. Recently,I met the Kazakh and Uzbek coaches,who said that the reason for the success of their boxers was a strong tradition of wrestling in the country. Youngsters take part in wrestling and when they switch to boxing,their background is a big help, he says. The scene is very similar in Haryana,stresses Bhardwaj. Haryana has a tradition of wrestling and most youngsters there take up wrestling early or watch the wrestlers train. Manipur boxers are very good at football,and hence they are good at understanding tactics, Bhardwaj says. But the big question is: Can Indian boxers perform consistently against Asian boxers and the rest of the world? Jagmohan Singh,former director of the NIS,is optimistic,but also has a word of caution. One of the most vital factors to succeed in modern boxing is technology. At times,this aspect is what we are found lacking in. For example,we still dont have sensors in our punching bags which would measure a boxers intensity level. The rest of the teams have got all the technical support, he says. Despite these shortcomings,Indian boxers are doing their best. As Sandhu adds: We arrived in Delhi from China on Tuesday and I asked the boys to come to Patiala after a weeks rest. But already a couple of guys are here to attend the practice sessions.
