Date:29/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/29/stories/2008072960942000.htm

Sport - Olympic Games

Akhil primed to give his best

Nandakumar Marar

Akhil is doing his best to win an Olympic medal
Matthews’s presence is a shot in the arm for him

Akhil Kumar is in a positive frame of mind following the Indian Olympic Association’s belated okay for physio Heath Matthews to accompany the boxing squad.

The bantamweight from Bhiwani, who developed a bond with the South African during the recovery phase from a wrist injury, values the latter’s presence in India’s corner at Beijing.

Matthews is critical to optimising the performance of five boxers who will be in Beijing after qualifying for the Olympics, chiefly Akhil whose spontaneous outburst after learning about the delay in granting clearance was a timely punch in making the administrators make up their mind.

‘Best boxer’

He is special, rated the ‘best boxer’ at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in Bangkok this February.

The Indian had shown character by outclassing Athens Olympics silver medallist, Worapoj Petchkoom of Thailand, in the third round.

Ever since then, the Olympic bantamweight medal has been in Akhil’s sight and is doing everything possible to get there.

Apart from personal ambition, he is aware of group responsibility as the most experienced hand, playing mentor to mates like Vijender Singh from Bhiwani Boxing Club.

Akhil is known to make punches count, as he did at the Bangkok qualifiers and earlier in two Commonwealth Games 54-kg final bouts, and knows that a chance at Olympic glory is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Earning rivals’ respect

The Athens Olympics first-round exit is distant memory for the Indian, who is looked upon with respect by rivals like Russia’s Sergei Vodopyanov, Mongolia’s Enkhbat Badar-Uugna and American Gary Russell.

The Indian is happy at the improvement in frequency of punches and increased range of his right hand, after working with Cuban and Indian coaches in preparatory and competition phases in the build-up to Beijing.

The squad benefited from a training camp in Germany and video analysis of opponents arranged by the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation.

Well prepared

Technical inputs at the right time and familiarity with opponents like Petcvhkoom have ensured that the biggest ever boxing team from India at the Olympics is also one of the better prepared ones.

The availability of Matthews comes as a shot in the arm for Akhil to go all out at Beijing, come what may.