Devendro Singh has tried to make sense out of the rejections he has faced but has he found the answers?
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“I have been unlucky but who isn’t in this world at some point?” Devendro Singh asked a few years back. One has to have lost a lot of battles in their life. And sadly, in Devendro Singh’s case, he has fallen from great heights. Devendro Singh has tried to make sense out of the rejections he has faced but has he found the answers?
The flyweight boxer had been nominated for the Arjuna award in 2015 and 2016 as well but could not get the selection committee’s approval despite fine performances. However, not a lot of people know that he was ranked 3rd in the world. He was also on the list of a few of the best boxers in the world?
“I don’t believe in blaming or sulking. It’s not healthy for an athlete. Being a sportsperson means giving your best and taking pride in it, instead of withdrawing yourself after a setback,” Devendro told PTI in an interview.
Devendro found his inspiration to take up boxing as a career at home. He used to watch his elder sister compete and give spectacular performances. But somehow Singh was always on the losing end of the ring. Sometimes very closely and other times he didn’t even get a podium finish.
The Manipuri narrowly missed out on a World Championship medal in 2011 and an Olympics medal in 2012. At the London Olympics, he lost to the European champion Paddy Barnes, again from a very narrow margin. Paddy, as a result, went on to claim his second Olympic bronze. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Devendro fought his way into the final and was just inches away from clinching the gold medal. However, in the all-important fight, he was bested by Barnes yet again.
After that, Devendro Singh decided to take up a different path but remained closely associated with boxing. In fact, Devendro is now willing to learn the lessons of coaching and wants to invest all his experience in producing Olympics and World Championship medallists.
Stationed at the Army Sports Institute, Devendro can often be seen helping out Services boxers prepare for the bouts in the ongoing National championships. “I am aiming to become a coach. Here I am assisting our head coach and learning a few things about coaching. Next year, I am planning to take the coaches’ course from NIS Patiala and help youngsters achieve what I could not,” Devendro told Sportstar.
“I still love the sport and do some sparring here. I wanted to compete, but my eye issue and ankle injury prevented me from continuing,” said the 26-year-old Manipuri, who last competed in the India Open international boxing tournament in Delhi earlier this year.
Remembering the 2011 Baku World championships, the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Devendro said, “I lost to the same opponent (Paddy Barnes of Ireland) in Olympics (quarterfinals) and Commonwealth Games (final). In the Worlds, I lost out on a medal (after facing defeat against Shin Jong Hoon of Korea) but was happy to qualify for the Olympics. Had I won those bouts, I would have been at a different place today. But I have no regrets. I got what I had to get. I have moved on.”
