There is no dearth of youngsters who pursue sports like football, cricket, tennis, swimming and the like. Also found somewhere in the list is the unlikely candidate of boxing, which seems to be becoming quite a popular sport in the City.
“Boxing is an excellent sport not only to keep the body fit but also for self defence. It is something that comes naturally to everyone — only the techniques need to be perfected. Besides this, it also helps increase stamina and strength,” informs Raj, who owns and runs Ramana Boxing Club in Hennur. Speaking about the response towards the sport, he shares, “We have around 100-150 students a year, even though only a few of them get into it professionally. They are coached by national and international level medalists and seem to really enjoy the sport. After the Delhi rape incident, a lot more women have also started coming forward to learn at least the basics.”
From what the boxers themselves say, once the therapeutic effects of the sport are experienced, there is no looking back. “I have a travelling job where I’m in the City for maximum three days a week. As long as I get to box on those days, my entire body and mind feels rejuvenated. That’s the best part about boxing — you don’t need it everyday but when you get it, it’s great from a fitness perspective,” shares Roshan Pradeep Kumar, a practice manager at a tech company.
A student at Ramana, he adds, “In exercise and gym, you can face a lot of injuries if you don’t do it right. But the coaches at Ramana know the correct techniques and what is unique about them is that they customise it for you. I had health issues owing to my travel lifestyle. Now, thanks to boxing, I get a complete workout. Even my concentration has improved.”
Sam Boxing Gym in Koramangala is another popular place to pursue the sport. “Boxing is definitely becoming better accepted as a sport after the Olympic wins by Mary Kom among others. Though the numbers are few in number at our gym, those who come do it mainly for fitness. But it is unfortunate that are very few takers for competitive-level boxing,” notes Vincent Shamraj, the owner. He adds, “Boxing is great for weight reduction, overall fitness and most importantly, self-defence. It’s good for people of all ages and helps students with the sports quota as well.”
