Beijing Olympics 2008

I would have quit had I won: Akhil

Losing quarter finalist in the Beijing Olympics Boxing, Akhil Kumar said that he would have quit had he won the gold at Olympics this year. But now that he hasn’t, he is resolved to stay on and fight.

“I had made up my mind well before coming to Beijing,” Akhil said. “If I had won the gold I would have said goodbye to boxing.”

“But now that I haven’t won anything I will have to continue with my career.”

Akhil beat world champion Sergey Vodopyanov in a thrilling pre-quarterfinal. But in the quarter-finals, he was beaten fair and square by Veaceslav Gojan of Moldova.

“People were expecting me to win. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. It was bad luck,” he explained.

He is, however, returning with fond memories from the Games. “It was a great experience for me to represent the country at such a great sporting event. What makes me happy is that, finally, boxing has got its recognition in India. I’m happy that we have finally made a mark in Indian sport; we hope to continue this good work in the future too.”

Akhil had good words for Vijender Singh, the lone medal winner from the squad. “Vijender performed very well and deserves the medal. But besides Jitender and Vijender and me who qualified for the quarter-finals, there were others too. AL Lakhra and Dinesh Kumar too did very well. Their efforts must also be recognized.”

Tags: Akhil Kumar, beijing olympics 2008, boxing