Shiv Singh is a doyen among coaches in India. His name draws instant respect from all quarters. Legendary boxing coach has given 37 years of his life for dedication boxing coaching. He shaped plenty of pugilists for the nation.
Recently, he won the Dronacharya lifetime achievement award. At that ebullient hour, I got the pleasure to have a chat with him. Here are the highlights –
Q: Many congratulations to you Shiv Singh sir on getting this prestigious award. Just tell us how are you feeling at the moment?
A: I am delighted. I believe in god. I have always maintained that gives 120% and you will surely be rewarded by the supreme power. At the same time, I am filled with gratitude for all my boxing fraternity. I also want to pass my special thanks to the Ministry of sports for recognizing my work.
Q: You want to recall any person from your life for support at this time?
A: Without an iota of doubt, she is my better half. For 25 years, I remained in charge of national teams of one category or the other. She took extra pain. Bringing up children, purchasing, home affairs, the list of burdens is long. She managed everything. All my worries evaporated because of her. That’s why I could concentrate on my dream. I am thankful for her kind support.
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Q: You want to mention any special moment why this award means a lot to you?
A: In 1996 I completed my Diploma in Germany. I could have settled there. The Head of the Department of the University perused me hard on stage to stay. But I politely denied. I wanted to return to serve the nation. Today, I am so happy that my decision was correct.
Q: You were the coach of the Punjab team in the Big Bout League. Tell us something about this new ‘League concept’ in India?
A: It is probably the best thing that could have been done for the betterment of the game. The TRP of Big Bout League surpassed all the ceilings of expectations. Lesser-known boxers got a chance to showcase their skills in front of the rousing crowd. Millions equally keen fans received glitzy telecast on TV. I hope that the event will go on year after year and touch a new milestone.
Q: Could you please tell us a few names of prominent boxers who took guidance from you at any point of time in their career?
A: All were good; I only gave them the direction and motivation. I only add that I have the privilege of shaping boxers like Vijender, Lovlina, legend Mary Kom, Akhil Kumar, Simranjeet, etc to a degree. They are very talented. I am pleased that they all bought respect for the nation.
Q: You have seen boxing from quite close quarters. Would you like to suggest some points for improvement?
A: Walking down memory lanes, I say that now we are a recognizable and fearful force in the world. Earlier, everyone used to take Indian pugilists for granted. Now, even Cubans take us seriously. A lot has improved. Despite this, I would say that we lack in the latest science and technology for the game. Nutrition, muscle strength, the transformation of weight to power, medicines, etc are now quite improved. We need a state of the art technology in this department. We should pick talent from a young age. More tournaments will elevate the level of competition.
Q: Last but not the least, your expectations from Tokyo Olympics?
A: Corona pandemic has broken the rhythm of all the boxers around the world. In the absence of completion, it is tough to say anything about our and rival boxers. We are motivated. Government support is excellent. Boxing president is the best that the nation could get. Overall, I expect the best show by the team from the Japanese capital.
On this cheerful note, I closed my talk with legendary coach Shiv Singh. I conveyed him a special thanks on behalf of my team.
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