Teenage boxer Raveen sets sights on Olympics after making India debut in Al Ain

Haryana storms into final of 52kg division at Asian Junior Boxing Championships

Raveen Raveen (in red) defeated Ali Hassan Sumon in the Asian Boxing Confederation’s Asian Junior Championships held at ADNEC Centre in Al Ain. Pawan Singh / The National

The north Indian state of Haryana has produced a number of renowned boxers and wrestlers over the years. Raveen, who goes by a single name, appears the latest star to emerge from its backwaters.

Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal when he bagged a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games, Neeraj Goyat, the first Indian to be ranked by the World Boxing Council, and Kavita Chahal, who rose to become the No 2-ranked female heavyweight, are just three pugilists to emerge from the state.

Several others have gone on to represent India at the Olympics and won medals at the world, continental and regional level.

Raveen, 16, born into a farming family, is another potential champion. He realised made a winning debut in the ongoing ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships at the Adnec Centre in Al Ain last week.

Going up against Ali Hassan Sumon of Bangladesh, he forced two standing counts before the referee stopped the contest in Round 3 in the 52kg weight division.

“I was confident going into the fight even though it was my first appearance at this level,” Raveen told The National after his appearance in an international competition.

“Actually, this was a moment I have been waiting for ever since I started boxing six years ago. This is the first time for me to travel abroad and an opportunity to showcase my potential. So clearing the first hurdle was very important, and now I’m looking forward to reaching the medal round.”

Raveen would go on to defeat Bekarys Adilbay of Kazakhstan and Amirbek Makhramov of Tajikistan, both on points, to set up a meeting with Behruz Kurbanov of Uzbekistan in Sunday’s final.

Raveen’s boxing journey began after watching his cousin win a a local competition in 2018. He was 10 at the time and was hooked. He asked his cousin to help train him.

“That was how it all began for me. We started training together and I had some success in the domestic competitions,” Raveen, who was selected for the national junior squad after winning competitions at the district and state level before becoming the national champion earlier in the year, said.

“My cousin joined the Indian army but he visits home, and whenever he does, we train together. After I leave school, I want to follow on his path and want to join the army.”

Raveen’s favourite boxer is former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, with the young Indian admitting he devours hours of footage watching old fights on YouTube.

Raveen believes the Asian Juniors is the first step in a long journey towards his long-term objective of making it to the Olympics.

“From the time I got into boxing, to represent India was my dream,” he said. “I have achieved my first goal but I’m aware it’s going to be a long and hard journey ahead with my ultimate goal being the Olympics.”

Raveen comes from a humble home. His father is a farmer cultivating wheat and he is the second in a family of a girl and two boys.

A Grade 10 pupil in a local school, he cycles more than 30km five days a week to attend training. He has participated in domestic competitions both in the sub-junior and junior divisions for six years.

Since last year, Raveen has shown consistent form and won competitions to impress the Boxing Federation of India talent scouts.

“He’s here with the Indian national team because of his perseverance and hard work, and now that he’s made it to the national junior squad, it’s our job to see [him] through his progress,” Dinesh Brijwasi, the team coach, said.

“Our federation has introduced several incentives including prize money in every competition. We have assembled national squads and conduct regular camps. Raveen is one of them to benefit from the programme.

“Now that he’s made it to the national team squad, his pathway is clear, and it’s up to him to continue to progress.”

Brijwasi said the support of Raveen’s family was the main factor for his development.

“Kids need the support from the family, firstly,” he said. “That’s very important at this stage of their life. As coaches, we can support in whatever way we can but it’s the support they receive from their homes that really matter, particularly when they come from a humble background.”

Raveen said his parents have been very supportive in both his schooling and boxing.

“My father takes care of 12 wheatfields but he’s allowed me to just focus on my studies and boxing,” he said.

“They provide me the necessary financial support for my expenses, get my boxing stuffs and nutrition. I still go to the fields to do a little work but that’s minimal as most of the time it’s just studies and boxing for me.”

The Indian squad at the championships in Al Ain consists of 56 members in total, 13 girls in the sub-juniors and 15 in the juniors, and 15 boys’ sub-juniors and 13 in the juniors.

“We have a boxer in every division, with some of them competing in the continental championships for the second time. So, we have arrived here with a good mix,” Brijwasi, a national team coach for seven years, added.

“I have been seeing Raveen for the last two years and he was included in the national junior squad last year.

“The Asian Juniors is an excellent platform providing these kids an early exposure to international competition. It’s a great incentive for the girls and boys to represent their respective countries at such an early age.”