Back after a seven-month injury lay-off, Olympian boxer Manish Kaushik reminded the critics of his prowess in the men’s light welterweight category by winning the gold medal at the 37th National Games in Goa and is now looking forward to qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
Down with L4 and L5 disc pain, the 2019 world championships bronze medallist was out of action for a major part of the 2023 season. His last competition before the break was the Senior National Boxing Championships in which he went down to arch-rival and six-time Asian championships medallist Shiva Thapa of Assam in the semi-final bout.
“It was a tough phase, I was down with severe pain in the disc. When I consulted the doctor, he recommended complete rest to get over it, and the rest stretched to six-seven months. I missed training sessions, and a couple of important tournaments, including the Hangzhou Asian Games but at the same time it was necessary to get my back in shape,” he said.
Having made his comeback at the 21st Mustafa Hajrulahvoic Memorial tournament in Sarajevo, Bosina and Herzegovina, Manish struck gold in September and has been training rigorously to prepare for the 37th National Games, and subsequently the Senior Nationals, starting November 24 in Shillong. Meghalaya.
