Prediction: Will Satish Kumar win a medal in Tokyo Olympics 2020?
Satish Kumar, an Indian heavyweight boxer, became the first one to qualify for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2020 in the 91 kg category. Satish came through the qualification mark by defeating Kazakhstan's Otgonbayer Daivii in the Asian Olympic Boxing Qualifiers.
What is different and memorable for Satish this year? The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is not only his maiden appearance at the mega event but also marks the first Indian boxer to ever qualify in the 91 kg category.
The 30-year-old has been representing India in the heavyweight category for over a decade now.
Satish Kumar's achievements leading to the Tokyo Olympics
Satish's international boxing journey started in 2013. However, his start was not a great one. He was knocked out of the World Championship after being declared unfit in the 91kg heavyweight category, in the quarter-finals of the 2013 World Championships.
He earned his first international medal at the Asian Games held in Icheon, South Korea in 2014. Satish settled for bronze after going down to Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko.
A year later, in 2015, Satish won another Bronze medal in the Heavyweight category at the Asian Boxing Championships held in Bangkok.
Satish bagged a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games after losing to Frazer Clarke of England. In the 2019 Asian Boxing Championships, Satish yet again settled for the Bronze medal in the 91kg Heavyweight category.
Satish's medal count
-2014 Asian Games Bronze medallist
-2018 Commonwealth Games Silver medallist
-2018 3rd National Men’s Boxing Championships gold medallist
-2018 1st India Open, New Delhi Silver medallist
-2019 Asian Championships Bronze medallist
-2019 Makran Cup Silver medallist
-2017 Grand Prix Ustinad Labem gold medallist
-2015 Olympic Test Event Bronze medallist
-2015 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships gold medallist Bronze
-2015 Indian National Championships gold medallist
-2013 Korotkov Memorial Tournament Bronze medallist
-2012 Indian National Championships gold medallist
-2011 Indian National Championships Silver medallist
The only significant medal missing from his cabinet is an Olympic medal, which he can gain at the Tokyo Olympics.
Will Satish be able to grab a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics 2020?
Satish missed the 2016 Rio Olympic Games due to an injury. He was forced to withdraw from the pre-quarter-finals after he was announced unfit for the last 16 matches during the World Championships in 2013.
Thus, Satish has a golden opportunity to sanitize the memories of his last Summer Games and walk into the ring with passion, aggression, and commitment. The revered Indian boxer will be keen to keep up his tall reputation when he enters the Tokyo Olympics later this month.
Also read: Interview with Satish Kumar: "Head injury prevented me from going after gold"