Fistfuls Of Hurricane

Vijender was the last man standing. As the nimble-footed young man punched and ducked, he displayed ability, courage and acumen. The last attribute proved decisive. He hurt Gongora with stinging jabs, scored his points and then danced backward, easily parrying the Ecuadorian's desperate attempts to knock him out. "They have respect for us now...boxers from other countries fear us," Vijender told Outlook. That, surprisingly, is true: Indians have been early losers at most Olympics. Of the five Indian boxing quarterfinalists at the Olympics, three achieved the feat in Beijing alone. In socio-political terms, Bhiwani is a world away from Cuba, spiritual home of amateur boxing, but some strange, stirring events in the Haryana town have earned it the sobriquet of "Little Cuba"—Vijender, Akhil and Jitender all grew up and trained there. And there are still more iron fists and wills being forged in this foundry: the number of boxing aspirants here has passed a thousand.

Apart from fists of fury, they share an indigent past. Armies may not bear to march on empty stomachs, but hungry boxers make better fighters. Vijender's father is a bus conductor, Akhil and Jitender have an agrarian background—they're not quite destitute, but when you must lock fists with the world's best, worry over funds to procure a special diet is a serious handicap. Help came from the corporate world—Mittal Champions Trust (MCT) supports Akhil and Jitender. Vijender, who joined Haryana Police recently, uses his own salary and financial awards to buy his special diet. That will change, for an outbreak of awards from India has followed his success in Beijing, including a promotion to the rank of deputy superintendent of police.

he Beijing victory will also fire new dreams. Vijender admits to being driven by ambition, of even becoming a professional boxer in the US and fighting at the famed Madison Square Garden. "I want to turn professional and do well in the US and earn big money," the ruggedly handsome Vijender told Outlook. That will change the amateur status he currently has. It's a practical decision, given the deplorable financial condition of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF). In debt over the last two years, the IABF had to take a bank loan to fly its team for last year's World Championships in Chicago. Things have improved with the sports ministry's support from earlier this year.

Then there's the officialdom to contend with. For instance, the name of Heath Matthews, the South African physiotherapist who doubles up as psychologist, was dropped from the list of the support staff drawn to accompany the Indian contingent to Beijing. His name was included only after the pugilists publicly protested.

In Beijing, it became clear why they had wanted Mathews. In the pre-quarterfinal, Jitender had suffered a serious cut under his chin. He needed stitches which, if visible, would have led the refree to withdraw him from the bout. It was Matthews who took the call to seek out a doctor for performing plastic surgery on Jitender to conceal the stitches. The surgery was done the same night, and Jitender could fight four days later. Matthews is critical to the team—he deals with the trauma the body and muscles of boxers suffer after each hammering. "We've never had the kind of cooling-down exercise he takes us through," Jitender told Outlook. "The ice baths ensure that our muscles and bodies can recover after the beating."

Engaged by the MCT to work with its athletes, Matthews has introduced the boxers to world-class training; he's altered their minds. As he explains, "They're doing well now because they're mentally charged up. They were not that aggressive, they used to be subdued in the past. We've worked to flush out negative thoughts from their minds. They've beaten some of the best boxers in the world, and they have the belief in their abilities to defeat anyone they take on."

Coach B.I. Fernandez, a kindly Cuban who breathes boxing, is another key factor. He isn't surprised by the recent success. "Indians have had the talent, but now all people involved are working like an efficient unit," he told Outlook.

An imperative for international success, hiring foreign coaches and trainers remain a financial challenge for India. The usual government salary for a foreign trainer is $3,000 a month. For this amount, experts say, you cannot get a top-notch trainer, underlining the importance of the support MCT has provided. The trust also supports the Bhiwani Boxing Club—the 'BBC'—which was set up by Jagdish Singh, a boxing enthusiast, eight years ago. It has emerged as the nursery where the country's top pugilists learnt the alphabet of combat.

The country is likely to hear more about bbc, as its pupils glove their way into the country's sporting consciousness. For starters, 20-year-old Jitender's performance can only improve, impressive as his first Olympics outing was. "He'll be more mature four years later, and ready for greater honours," says Indian coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu.

Village-raised and fired by a need to excel in sport to come up in life, Indian boxers are fit to spar with the world.