Shiva Thapa: I had a point to prove

In a PTI interview, the 22-year old shed light on his road to Rio and the difficulties faced on the way. “This time, it’s been mentally more challenging and certainly the toughest of my career. I had a point to prove, deep inside perhaps I was very angry and wanted to show what I could do.

“That’s why when I won the semifinal bout, which assured me of an Olympic spot, I let out a huge scream in the ring. It was a lot of pent up emotions which came out. I don’t need to say how tough it has been for us in India because of all that has happened in the last few years and it was such a relief to qualify and beat the circumstances,” he continued.

With the qualifiers in Qian’an concluding only recently, Shiva wanted to take some time off. “I need to switch off for some time now. It’s very important and after that I would decide the next course of action. I would definitely be travelling abroad for training but it isn’t decided where it would be as of now. The one thing that I would be working on probably is my aggression,” he said.

“I am a much more aggressive boxer now but I have to ensure that I never go overboard. Because if you lose control over aggression, you will end up looking absolutely silly inside the ring,” he explained.

Shiva Thapa will head the boxing contingent this time around and has a lot of responsibility on his young shoulders. “I am aware that there would be pressure this time and I am ready for it. I am much more comfortable with the spotlight and the big stage doesn’t unnerve me anymore.

“I have fought against a variety of opponents whether it was the World Championships or the Asian Qualifiers and that has helped my confidence and growth,” he concluded.