‘I was scared I would have to wait four years’

Diwakar Prasad and Vijender Kumar have just added their names to the list of India’s qualifiers in the boxing ring at the Athens Olymp...

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Diwakar Prasad and Vijender Kumar have just added their names to the list of India’s qualifiers in the boxing ring at the Athens Olympics. Earlier, Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar had qualified for the Games, starting in August.

Having done the needful by reaching the finals at the Karachi qualifiers over the past week — where the No 1 Indian Olympic medal contender Mohammed Ali Qamar lost by a controversial decision — the two are currently waiting for the gruelling two-and-a-half month schedule the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation has penned for them.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the Indian contingent’s manager Asit Banerjee said, ‘‘Both Diwakar and Vijender were brilliant in the first few rounds. Diwakar, in fact, if he can maintain his concentration and control temper can go a long way at the Olympics as well. He is not a very bright boy, but he showed that he is a much-improved boxer.’’

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Diwakar, 21, reached the 54kg final after probably the best bout in the Karachi tournament, when he beat Iran’s Mortaza by a whopping 19 points in the semi-finals. He said: ‘‘Before the fight, the coach (GS Sandhu) and others told me that I would have to wait another four years for the chance to take part in the Olympics. That hit me and I made up my mind that I was going to give my best. It worked and I won by a big margin.’’

For the masses who are primarily concerned about whether or not any of these qualifiers will manage to achieve the real thing — an Olympic medal — Banerjee offered hope: ‘‘Our main target was to reach the finals and qualify. We achieved that. For us, the semi-finals were the equivalent of the finals. I am sure we will do well in Athens”, though the confidence does appear a trifle misplaced.

2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games gold medallist Qamar, meanwhile, appeared a rather subdued man. Qamar lost via a controversial decision when the judges voted against him after he and Japanese Toshiyuki Iqarashi were tied at 28 points apiece in the first round. Today, he only said, ‘‘I did my best and to be honest, I thought I had done enough to win that bout. But there’s nothing we can do about it now. It is disappointing….’’ About his future, now that he’s past 26 years old, Qamar said, ‘‘Let’s see what happens. You never know.’’

The IABF has chalked out a rather exhaustive programme for the four qualifiers between now and Athens. On May 18, the four assemble at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, from where they move to Shilaru in Himachal Pradesh for a 25-day camp. On June 16, they leave for Athens for an acclimatisation tour, following which they return to Patiala and then move on to Tashkent for another 20-day trip. August 8 is when they leave for the Olympics. IABF indicated that Sandhu will be assisted by four coaches and their names will be announced soon.