A small town in Bihar, Dighwara, has a boxing club that has produced female boxers who raked in more than 50 medals. This despite not having a proper professional boxing ring. But the boxing club has become a place of high learning for boxing aspirants from the near and far villages.
Roshan Singh, who was a Physical Education instructor at three local schools saw that many of his students had a lot of promise. They were fit, disciplined and dedicated to a career in sports. They needed an outlet, he felt. So, with the help of the local college, he set up a boxing club and asked some of the more promising students to come join.
And join they did. Priyanka, 12, lived in the next village half an hour away from Dighwara. She took a bus daily for practice at 4 in the morning and after school till 8 pm. People would advise her parents to not give her silly ideas. She kept her head down and focussed on her game. Varsha’s family felt uncomfortable with the increased mobility their 12-year-old daughter enjoyed. But the coming national championship would change it all.
Taking it to the national stage
The next year’s Junior Women’s National Boxing Championship 2009 was in Patna, 50 km away from Dighwara. Priyanka won the 'Most Promising Boxer' along with a silver medal, and Varsha bagged a bronze medal. Bihar was edging its way into the national boxing scene. Lauded as champions back in the village, for the Dighwara boxing club members, it was a promise of many more victories in the future.
The club now has 50-odd members, with the youngest being only four, all dreaming of the glories on the national arena.
Better facilities for better boxers
These stellar results are thanks to the spirit and dedication of the coaches, Roshan Singh and his friend Dhiraj Kant. They built a makeshift cement ring, and convinced students and their parents to come join. They collect funds that let those without the resources just come in and begin boxing.
To participate competitively, the boxers need a lot more. Boxing equipment is expensive. The boxers need to spar a ring made of padding covered by canvass, to get their footing right and be on par with other competitors. Good boxing gloves alone cost Rs. 2,000, the rest of the kit even more. But Roshan and Dhiraj make sure to never let the costs stand in the way of talent. Dhiraj says, “There is no dearth of talent in Bihar. A lot of students love sports and want to do well in that. So if we see that passion in a student, we do our best to bring them here. We collect funds from the community or sometimes pay from our own salary so that we can buy gloves for those who cannot afford it.”
As things are now, promising talent like Priyanka and Varsha have decided to do a diploma in sports coaching and nurture talent for future. “I know what it is like to be aiming to compete and to train rigorously. While I have great coaches, there are some areas where I would have liked guidance from a female sports-person. If I become a coach I think I can encourage more women to participate for our state,” says Priyanka.
Being a part of this boxing club has let these young women envision a clear future for themselves. With support from the community, the talent in the boxing club can aim higher and train better. They need a proper boxing ring worth Rs 1.5 lakhs and funds to arrange for professional kits for their boxers.
Foster boxing talent in and around Dighwara here.
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