CHENNAI: A decade of struggle has finally paid off for Sastha Vasanth Ashok Kumar, and this could be just the beginning. The son of an MTC bus driver, Ashok Kumar, Vasanth overcame financial hardships to clinch silver in the 35-37kg category at the Asian U-15 Boxing Championships in Uzbekistan on Thursday.
For the father, the medal is the culmination of years of sacrifice and relentless routine. “This is a very big moment for me. I specifically worked night shifts to look after my son. I would accompany him to his boxing classes both in the morning and evening before leaving for duty. In the time I had in between, I used to take rest. This was my routine for close to five years,” Ashok Kumar told TOI.
Vasanth took up boxing at the age of five and joined the DPKM club. The youngster later trained at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) for a year before being selected for the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) in Bengaluru last year. Vasanth narrowly missed selection to the MEG in the first attempt and then waited another year to earn his place.
Vasanth’s mother, Seethalakshmi, a senior advocate at the Madras High Court, largely credited coach Manikandan for her son’s rise. “There were times when we could not pay the fees at the DPKM club where Vasanth started his career, but coach Manikandan has never asked for money till date. Also, Vasanth’s father had health issues and could not drive for long hours. We had to balance everything in the beginning, and it was difficult to provide Vasanth with the required protein-rich food. There were a few helping hands, including one of Vasanth’s father’s close friends, who helped us secure equipments for Vasanth,” Seethalakshmi said.
“Coach Manikandan would always make Vasanth spar with boxers from higher weight categories, and that helped my son improve his game. Once he joined the SDAT, he started competing against boxers from other districts, which boosted his confidence. What makes Vasanth stand out is that he does not spend time on social media and is always focused on either boxing or studies. Even when he uses phone, he sees videos related to boxing,” Seethalakshmi added.
With the silver medal, Vasanth will look to build on this success and emerge as one of the promising names in Indian boxing.
