I learnt the need to box at a faster speed, says Manish Kaushik

The 23-year-old from army learnt something very important about boxing while competing in the World boxing championships in Ekaterinburg – the need for speed. Known for his clean punches and effective combnation, Kaushik made a name for his agility at the Worlds.

“I learnt the need to box at a faster speed. It helps one win points, win bouts... The success at one of the biggest platforms in the world gave me a lot of confidence. Fighting with some of the best in the business, like Asian Games, Olympics and Worlds medalists, was a big boost. My new confidence level should work well for me in the Olympic qualifier,” said Kaushik, reported Sportstar.

“World championships was my best experience as a boxer. I worked on my speed and skill and it benefitted. I felt like being an improved boxer,” he added.

Coming from Haryana’s Bhiwani district, a place home to many boxers, Kaushik had taken up the sport after Vijender Singh’s achievement at the Beijing Olympics medal. However, as far as his approach was concerned, he always believed in his.

“I don’t believe in going all out and wasting energy needlessly. I study the rival and look where I can score points,” he added.

High performance director Santiago Nieva admitted that Kaushik’s level at the Worlds was the best the boxing has even been at. "Manish was fantastic through the whole week. He showed better level than what he showed before. It was a new weight category for him (after switching from 60kg to 63kg) and the way he boxed with stronger and bigger boxers and the maturity he showed was superb,” he said.

Kaushik would be working on his strength as he gets more and more acquainted with the new weight category ahead of the continental Olympic qualifier in Wuhan, China, in February.