On August 22, 2008, Vijender Singh did just that when he lost his semi-final bout at the Beijing Olympics. But the bronze medal he settled for was the first any Indian boxer won at the world's biggest sporting event. He completes a "life-changing" year since that feat on Saturday, but Vijender says it is just like yesterday for him.
Vijender Singh speaks about his journey from humble beginnings in Kalwash village of Bhiwani district to becoming the only Indian boxer who will have the unique distinction of partaking in three Olympics.
Indian boxers L Devendro Singh (49kg) and Manoj Kumar (64kg) fought gamely, but eventually ran out of steam against fancied opponents and bowed out in the quarter-finals, at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. Having secured Olympic berths after reaching the quarter-finals, the Indians were aiming for medals at the mega event.
When Pusarla Sindhu won a gold medal at the 2012 Asian junior badminton championships, her cricketing hero Sachin Tendulkar presented her with a car. One can only guess at the reception the 21-year-old player will receive when she returns into the arms of 1.3 billion Indians after becoming the country's most successful female Olympian with her silver-medal performance in Rio. The fact that she had been beaten 19-21 21-12 21-15 by Spanish world number one Carolina Marin in the final mattered little for a country that until Friday had won a solitary bronze at these Games.
The Asian Olympic Qualifiers are his last chance to book a ticket to the London Games but starIndian boxer Vijender Singh claims he is least bit intimidated by the challenge at hand as the situation is all too familiar.
A warning in the closing few seconds cost Shiva Thapa (56kg) dearly as the promising Indian boxer settled for a silver medal after going down narrowly in the final of the 43rd men's and women's Grand Prix in Usti and Labem, Czech Republic.
In the third round, Thapa attacked Usmonov relentlessly as the Tajak fell on the canvas within the first few seconds following which the referee gave him the count.
Santosh Harijan and Mandeep Jangra registered easy wins to book quarter-final berths, but medal prospect Shiva Thapa pulled out owing to a shoulder injury as Indian boxers enjoyed mixed success at the Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Incheon, South Korea.
Manjeet Singh had to content with a silver medal at the 3rd China Open boxing tournament after going down to local lad Akepeer Yusuf in the final of the super heavy weight category (+91kg), in Guiyang.
'I don't really care for awards for myself but I would be grateful if Anil Dhankar, my formative coach is considered for the Dronacharya'
PV Sindhu, Depika Padukone ensured Indian representation on the global front.
Nikhat's form augurs well for India with the Olympics coming up next year.
Indian women boxers ended their Asian Games campaign rather disappointingly with five-time World Champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) and Kavita Goyat (75kg) settling for bronze medals after losing in the semi-finals in Guangzhou on Wednesday.
The Indian pugilists won the flyweight and light-heavyweight final bouts.\n\n\n\n
Jeswin Aldrin, who had already qualified for the championships, however missed the cut.
Modi on Saturday hosted the Indian contingent at his residence to felicitate the players in New Delhi.
India's regional supremacy at the South Asian Games went unchallenged. The hosts were crowned overall champions for the 12th consecutive time after a record-breaking haul of 308 medals.
Here's what your favourite Bollywood celebrities are tweeting.
With a month to go for the Tokyo Olympics Vijender Singh takes a trip down memory lane to relive one of the most iconic moments in Indian sport... India's first Olympic medal in boxing.
World Junior bronze-medallist Sachin Singh (49kg) became only the third Indian boxer ever to strike gold at the AIBA Youth World Championships with a stunning unanimous victory over Cuban national champion Jorge Grinan in the summit clash at St Peterburg, Russia, on Saturday.
'It is indeed a commendable feat that out of 18 participants from the Indian Army in the Commonwealth Games squad, eight sportspersons have earned medals for India,' the army stated.
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
Vikas Krishan returned to amateur fold in December last and having qualified for the Tokyo Games, will head back to the pro circuit in the USA, most likely next month.
A look at the few bright spots, the many worries, and moments that made for a distinctly indelible 2020.
The Indian boxer defeated Tanzania's Haruna Mhando by a unanimous verdict.
Shiva Thapa (56kg) was the lone Indian boxer to make the final after Olympic-bound Vikas Krishan (69kg) settled for a bronze medal following his loss in the semi-final of the 43rd men's and women's Grand Prix in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
Four-time world champion M C Mary Kom got a walkover after her semi-final opponent failed to turn up, while two others notched up contrasting wins to make the finals on a mixed day for Indian boxers in the Asian Women's Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Star Indian boxer Vijender Singh is assured of at least a bronze medal in his very first international competition in the light-heavyweight (81kg) category after advancing to the semi-finals of the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia, on Tuesday.
An outraged Indian boxing contingent lodged a protest and demanded a review of L Sarita Devi's semi-final bout at the Asian Games after the veteran pugilist lost despite a dominating performance against home favourite Jina Park.
As the search for a Cuban coach for Indian boxers continues, country's only Olympic medal winner in the sport Vijender Singh on Monday said a foreigner is not needed as home-grown coaches can do the job well enough. Ever since Cuban B I Fernandes' contract expired, the Indian Boxing Federation has been hunting for a foreign coach, preferably another Cuban, to fill the void.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Indian boxing's biggest names are demanding an all systems reboot to halt the sport's decline after a medal-less Olympic campaign in Rio and their roadmap goes beyond having the much-delayed national federation.
he days of turmoil in Indian boxing are over and the newly-elected federation will be welcomed into international fold this year itself, said International Boxing Association (AIBA) vice-president Edgar Tanner expressing confidence that the country's administrative revival will stand the test of time.
A look at India's schedule at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, August 1, 2021.
Handicapped by a dislocated thumb and up against a two-time world champion, Indian boxer Vijender Singh on Monday said he managed to pull off the Asian Games gold medal as 'luck was back' on his side a month after deserting him at the Commonwealth Games.
'No matter when the Olympics are -- they can be after four months or after one year and four months -- I will be ready.'
Sports Minister Vijay Goel, on Saturday, met former Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh to discuss the way forward for Indian boxing, which has been severely hampered by administrative wrangling in the past four years.
Asian champion Suranjoy Singh became the first Indian boxer to clinch a gold medal at the inter-continental President's Cup after out-punching Frenchman Nordine Oubaali 8-1 in the flyweight (51kg) final, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday. The 22-year-old Manipuri's triumph also fetched him US $3,000 at the prestigious season-ending event, where confederations from Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Oceania are pitted against each other.
Indian boxer Vijender Singh's appeal over the 'unfair penalty points' awarded to his opponent during the semi-final bout was rejected by the Commonwealth Games Federation on Tuesday. The offiicals rejected India's protest over the four penalty points docked against world number one Vijender in his 75-kg middleweight semi-final defeat by Anthony Ogogo of England on Monday.
