Bhopal, 6 February (HS): Ishaan Kataria, the strong handsome boy from Haryana who won the last bout of the five-day boxing event of Khelo India Youth Games 2022, sure believes in speaking the truth.
After the referee declared RSC (Referee Stop Contest) in the third round, when his state-mate Nitish Malik failed to provide any resistance in front of the crowd at the Tatia Tope Stadium complex, Ishaan later said, he started boxing first. Because he wanted to channelize the anger in his body.
The 17-year-old Ishaan, who won the 75-80 kg category, said, “Look, I am a Jat and there was anger in my body. I used to often fight with my friends and wanted to release the anger through my sport.
Interestingly though, boxing was not his first choice as Ishaan was addicted to skating and was a national champion in the sport. He said, “I was a silver medalist in youth nationals first and then became national champion. However, both my family and I realised that skating had no future in India and then decided to go for boxing as if I could do well, I would get a chance to represent the country.
Vijay Singh Kataria, his father, who is an employee at the All India Airports Authority, took him to the Elite Boxing Academy about two years ago, and Ishaan soon caught the eye of a local coach with his aggressive demeanor.
Ishaan said, “I started at the district-level and lost the first time before winning it the next year. Then at the Youth Nationals in Chennai last year, I ended up with a silver and that probably earned me a place in the state team at my first Khelo India Youth Games – which I consider a big break.
Asked how he planned his campaign in the event where he had to qualify for the final round with wins in the last two rounds, Ishaan said: My coach Rajesh Khattar wanted me to stay calm and play my natural game. Go for it in style. However, I didn’t expect the final to be easy.
A huge fan of Muhammad Ali, ‘The Greatest’, Ishaan dreams of participating in the Olympics in the near future. I want to win an Olympic medal and make my country proud, he said.
