Guwahati: A sweeping loss to Punjab’s Simranjit Kaur in the women’s 64kg trials for the 2019 Asian Championships sparked a loss of confidence for Assam’s Ankushita Boro, who was by then riding high on her 2017 Youth World Championship crown.
Served with a welcome reality check in her very first year in the senior circuit, the boxer hailing from a nondescript Meghai Jarani village in the Sonitpur district had to go back to the drawing board, review her strategies and wait patiently for another three years (including two years of the Covid -19 pandemic), to finally fulfill her dreams of winning her first medal at international senior level.
Also with her weight class of 66 kg from the Tokyo Games, Ankushita hardly noticed herself competing in major international competitions, although she has been part of the national camp for elite boxers for quite some time now.
The pressure to win medals in every competition can sometimes backfire on athletes. Ankushita is a great example of how expectations can affect in-ring performance. Blessed with perfect technique and nimble footwork, Ankushita’s playing has displayed the right mix of class and aggression since announcing her arrival on the scene in 2017.
Despite being active in the scene for more than six years now, Ankushita feels that the bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Amman has regained much-needed confidence, and on the other hand indicates that her preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games be on the right track in Paris. .
Two weeks before the Asian Championships, Ankushita got her first taste of senior success at the 36e National Games in Ahmedabad, where she took a gold medal. In the continental encounter, Ankushita looked on course to go all the way before a 1-4 defeat to Uzbekistan’s Khamidova Navbakhor in the semi-finals ended her campaign in the Jordanian capital.
“This was my first major international medal at the senior level, although I made it to the circuit in 2019. At the time I would ask myself if I belonged to that level, but once you get a sense of the real game situation, the confidence starts to build from within. It was a satisfying outing, although I would have loved to win the gold medal, but a great learning experience,” said Ankushita EastMojo during an interaction.
“After winning the World Youth Championship, I wondered why I lacked the confidence of top level boxing and often went on self-introspection to work on the areas that need improvement in my game,” she added.
The 22-year-old believes the National Games gold came at the right time and gave her much-needed confidence for the Asian Championships. However, she was candid enough to acknowledge that there is plenty of room for improvement in her approach.
“I’m working on my long range shots the way I found myself wanting in the Asian Championship semi-finals. The Uzbek boxer managed to make a good connection in the second round of the fight, after which it was not enough for me to make a comeback in the last round. Her game is nothing out of the ordinary, which is why the loss is still on my mind,” she said.
At the World Championships in Turkey, Ankushita made a pre-quarterfinal exit after losing 0–5 to Poland’s Aneta Rygielska. However, she is relieved that the Asian Championship medal helped her overcome the mental baggage, but at the same time made her realize the importance of approaching every fight with a clean slate.
“The main change I would like in my game is the approach. After looking at the World Championship and Asian Championship boats, I found a big difference in the overall approach. Although the basics of the game remain the same, foreign boxers approach it with a fearless attitude, winning or losing hardly matters to them, they enjoy the fights and express themselves.
“In my case, I’ve always gone to the ring with nothing but victory in mind, and that sometimes backfires. You can’t expect all matches to go in your favour, and from every loss there is something positive that you can take into your next match. That’s the change of approach I’m looking forward to in my game,” she explained.
Not many boxers have the luxury of having their significant other as a coach, but in Ankushita’s case, her husband Trideep Borah is one of the most sought after boxing coaches in the country. For Ankushita, Trideep’s presence at the camp not only gives her extra motivation, but also allows her to work on her game on a personal level.
On most occasions, she prefers to address him as “sir.”
“I am grateful to all the coaches in the national camp for believing in my abilities. Regarding the change in approach, Mr (Trideep) has supported my decision and expressed confidence that I can go the distance,” she said.
Veteran boxer Shiva Thapa also echoed Trideep’s sentiments, saying that Ankushita is a “damn good boxer” with impeccable technique. “Trideep recently told me about certain changes in her game. I just told him she’s a great boxer, she can even fight with male boxers in her weight class. She’s very strong, dedicated, she just has to stay focused. One or ten defeats doesn’t matter, it’s that one win that counts at the end of the day.”
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“Her energy also gives me new energy, she is new and wants to achieve more. I need that hunger in me too, I have to keep starving myself, so it’s an honor for me to be in the company of such fighters,’ Shiva continued.
With the national senior boxing championships next week in Bhopal, Ankushita is here, along with the rest of the state team, sweating hard at SAI stadium. A podium finish at the competition is sure to revitalize her for the upcoming World Championships to be held in India in March.
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