Govind Sahani’s mantra: No waiting game, no weight too heavy

Fresh from winning the lightfly final in the Thailand Open, the quick-punching boxer is ready to move up to the tough 51kg in a bid to qualify for the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

There is an urgency with which Govind Sahani throws his punches. His relentless attacking style is perhaps borne out of the rejections he has faced in his career; fighting as if each bout is a final chance.

Govind Sahani poses after winning gold at the Thailand Open (PTI)

The 24-year-old won gold at the Thailand Open International Boxing on Saturday, beating home rival Natthaphon Thuamcharoen 5-0 in lightfly (48kg). For Sahani it was huge, after a second round loss in the world championships last year.

"I had a muscle tear in my shoulder at the camp after the worlds. It took me two months to recover. I missed a tournament in Serbia because of that. I am still not back to my best, but I had to fight here and win a medal because the selection trials are approaching," says Sahani.

"Every tournament you are under pressure to perform because you want to be among the top and get an opportunity in the trials and represent India."

The boxer from Gorakhpur though will now pitch himself in flyweight (51kg)—an Olympic category—for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games trials next month. The division though has two of India’s best—Amit Panghal and Deepak Bhoria. “Unfortunately, 48kg is not there in both the Games. It will be tough against Panghal and Deepak who are world class,” says the 48kg national champion.

Panghal made a comeback in Thailand after a first-round exit in the Tokyo Olympics. He won silver in Thailand but is not yet at his best. Bhoria, the flyweight national champion, is coming back after a shoulder injury.

"Any change is difficult. As per my height and weight, lightfly suits me. But there is a constant change of weight class. If I have to go to the Olympics, I have to shift to a higher division."

Tough transition

Sahani started boxing in 2009, showing initial promise in state meets. He got a seat in the Meerut Sports Hostel and then shifted to the Sports Authority of India centre in Kashipur. His career, however, didn't progress and by 2014 he had decided to quit. "All I would hear from coaches is that I have talent but I was not getting an opportunity in the national team."

With four children, his father, a farmer, struggled to support the family. From 2012-2015 domestic tournaments also dried up as the boxing federation was banned. Despite his good record in Uttar Pradesh, he was also left out of the state team. He went for trials in the Army but with no medals in the Nationals, he was rejected. "I hated to take money from home. I just wanted to leave boxing and support my family. I used to feel low and depressed. I told my mother, but she said ‘you focus on boxing. You don’t have to give anything at home’."

It was then that he entered the 2018 nationals from Nagaland and won bronze, making it to the senior camp. A job with the Railways then ended his struggle.