As the Indian boxers aim to end the country’s medal drought at the world championships that begin in Milan from September 1, the biggest challenge for Akhil Kumar, in his own words, is his unfamiliarity with his likely opponents. Having just returned from a hairline fracture that sidelined him from the Asian championships, Akhil missed the chance to get a closer look at his potential competitors at the worlds, even though he says he made the journey to the tournament as a spectator.

“I wanted to watch the boxers in my weight category, but not all of them were there. Chinese boxers, who are the best in this category, didn’t even show up. I wanted to see how hard they were punching, and if my punches were as hard. But I am not complaining, I know I can beat anybody,” Akhil said, as the team prepared to leave for Milan.

This will be the first major competition for Akhil after moving up to the featherweight division from bantam weight. But the Bhiwani boxer isn’t worried. “A few competitive bouts before the world championships would have been good. But my injury forced me to sit out at the Asian meet. My experience will come handy, though,” he added.

Chief coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu agreed that Akhil’s experience would count for a lot. “This may be the first time for him in this category, but he has loads of experience that will be of help in the tournament,” Sandhu said.

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