Boxer Laishram Sarita Devi was suspended by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) earlier this week for refusing to accept her bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games. Fellow Indian boxer and former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Akhil Kumar talks to Dhruv Munjal about this controversy, the pressures of conducting yourself in the right manner when you're representing your country and the criticism the current boxing scoring system is facing. Edited excerpts:
What do you make of AIBA's decision to suspend Sarita Devi for her refusal to accept her bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games?
Personally, I would not like to comment on Sarita Devi's suspension. There is no doubt that what happened to her in Incheon was wrong. But, as an international athlete, there are several times in your career when decisions don't go your way. The fact that she did not accept her medal was a personal choice. There is no problem in protesting, but it must be done at the correct time and place.
As I said, sometimes you feel a little hard done by the judges' decision. We all work hard and want to make the country proud by doing well. And when you think you deserve to win and still end up on the losing side, it definitely hurts. But all this is a part of the learning curve. You have to accept such decisions and strive to do better. When you refuse to accept your medal, you are being disrespectful to your opponent. For instance, a couple of years ago, fellow Olympian and my good friend Jitender Kumar was fighting at the Chennai nationals. In the semi-final bout, he deserved to win, but the judges scored the bout in his opponent's favour. After the bout got over, Jitender refused to shake hands with his opponent. I made him sit down and tried explaining to him that it wasn't his opponent's fault - it's the judges who made a mistake. As a good sportsperson, it is vital that you respect the sport as well as your opponent.
There has been a lot of controversy around the new points scoring system in boxing. Some have labelled it as too subjective and lacking transparency. How would you look at this?
I am a big fan of the new scoring system. It is a little complex to understand, but I think it is the right way forward. Prior to the 2012 London Olympics, when the old scoring system was in place, boxers and coaches knew how the bout was being scored. So, if a boxer was up by, say, four points early into the bout, he would immediately go on the defensive because he knew that the fight was in the bag. This made for a drab sporting spectacle, and it wasn't fair on the opponent either. The new system promises better boxing and also gives the other boxer an opportunity to make a comeback in the bout. Moreover, every boxer dreams of going professional, and this is how all professional fights are scored.
How big is the pressure of behaving in the right manner and setting an example for youngsters when you're representing your country?
I don't think there is pressure, but you do feel a sense of responsibility. The way you conduct yourself on the sports field is very important. There are millions of people who are watching you, and you do not want set a bad precedent. I think all our sportmen should take cue from the Indian cricket team. The way they carry themselves, handle tough situations and act in a professional manner are some of the things we should imbibe from them. Professionalism is the key if you want to succeed in any sporting discipline.
AIBA and the sports ministry are yet to grant full recognition to Boxing India, the ad-hoc committee currently in-charge of Indian boxing. How big an impact is this uncertainty having on the sport in the country?
Since there is no permanent governing body in place, we don't have anyone to go to. It is a difficult time for all of us, particularly the young boxers, because they need the most support. I have also been hearing that next month's Senior Men's National Championships may get postponed due to this uncertainty. This does not augur well for the sport.
What do you make of AIBA's decision to suspend Sarita Devi for her refusal to accept her bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games?
Personally, I would not like to comment on Sarita Devi's suspension. There is no doubt that what happened to her in Incheon was wrong. But, as an international athlete, there are several times in your career when decisions don't go your way. The fact that she did not accept her medal was a personal choice. There is no problem in protesting, but it must be done at the correct time and place.
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Had a similar incident happened to you, how would you have reacted?
As I said, sometimes you feel a little hard done by the judges' decision. We all work hard and want to make the country proud by doing well. And when you think you deserve to win and still end up on the losing side, it definitely hurts. But all this is a part of the learning curve. You have to accept such decisions and strive to do better. When you refuse to accept your medal, you are being disrespectful to your opponent. For instance, a couple of years ago, fellow Olympian and my good friend Jitender Kumar was fighting at the Chennai nationals. In the semi-final bout, he deserved to win, but the judges scored the bout in his opponent's favour. After the bout got over, Jitender refused to shake hands with his opponent. I made him sit down and tried explaining to him that it wasn't his opponent's fault - it's the judges who made a mistake. As a good sportsperson, it is vital that you respect the sport as well as your opponent.
There has been a lot of controversy around the new points scoring system in boxing. Some have labelled it as too subjective and lacking transparency. How would you look at this?
I am a big fan of the new scoring system. It is a little complex to understand, but I think it is the right way forward. Prior to the 2012 London Olympics, when the old scoring system was in place, boxers and coaches knew how the bout was being scored. So, if a boxer was up by, say, four points early into the bout, he would immediately go on the defensive because he knew that the fight was in the bag. This made for a drab sporting spectacle, and it wasn't fair on the opponent either. The new system promises better boxing and also gives the other boxer an opportunity to make a comeback in the bout. Moreover, every boxer dreams of going professional, and this is how all professional fights are scored.
How big is the pressure of behaving in the right manner and setting an example for youngsters when you're representing your country?
I don't think there is pressure, but you do feel a sense of responsibility. The way you conduct yourself on the sports field is very important. There are millions of people who are watching you, and you do not want set a bad precedent. I think all our sportmen should take cue from the Indian cricket team. The way they carry themselves, handle tough situations and act in a professional manner are some of the things we should imbibe from them. Professionalism is the key if you want to succeed in any sporting discipline.
AIBA and the sports ministry are yet to grant full recognition to Boxing India, the ad-hoc committee currently in-charge of Indian boxing. How big an impact is this uncertainty having on the sport in the country?
Since there is no permanent governing body in place, we don't have anyone to go to. It is a difficult time for all of us, particularly the young boxers, because they need the most support. I have also been hearing that next month's Senior Men's National Championships may get postponed due to this uncertainty. This does not augur well for the sport.