Guwahati, Nov 8: It has been more than a decade since Assam boxer Shiva Thapa continued to bring glory to the country. Starting from being the youngest ever-Indian boxer at the 2012 London Olympics to now being the only male boxer to have six Asian championship medals, Shiva continued to shine.
"Humbled! It's been an honour to be representing India and winning medals for my country," as sober as always, Shiva responded when The Assam Tribune asked how he felt being the only male boxer with six Asian Championship medals.
An attacking Shiva (63.5 kg) won his quarterfinal bout against Minsu Choi (4:1) of South Korea to ensure a medal for the record sixth time late on Sunday.
The journey has been challenging for this Guwahati boy. If he had to miss out on some major tournaments for injuries, there were moments when Shiva had to struggle to get back the rhythm in the ring.
But he was always calm and believed in God.
"…God's Plan! For me it's all about experiencing the journey and not worrying about the outcomes, the highs and lows have always been constant with one after the other but a positive mind always gives positive results regardless of catastrophic events," Shiva continued.
Now on Thursday, he faces two-time Asian Championships medallist Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan in the semifinal. Is there anything else?
"I'm ready!" was the reply.
