Akhil Kumar facts for kids
President Kalam presenting Arjuna Award to Akhil Kumar.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Indian | |||||||||||||||||||
| Citizenship | Indian | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 27 March 1981 Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India |
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| Residence | Rohtak, Haryana, India | |||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Boxer Bantamweight | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 168 cm | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Akhil Kumar (born 27 March 1981) is a famous Indian boxer. He has won many awards both in India and around the world. He is known for his special "open guarded" boxing style, which means he keeps his hands lower than most boxers, making his fights exciting to watch. In 2005, the Indian government honored him with the Arjuna Award, which is a big award for sports achievements.
Akhil Kumar also helps with sports in India. From 2017 to 2019, he worked as a National Observer for boxing, helping to watch over the sport. He is also a member of important committees like the High Powered Committee of Khelo India, which helps develop sports talent. He has also been part of the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA), which makes sure athletes play fair.
He is a member of the Haryana Police Service and works as a police officer.
Contents
Career
_Akhil_Kumar_of_India_in_an_action_against_Qadir_Khan_of_Pakistan,_at_Talkatora_Stadium,_in_New_Delhi_on_October_07,_2010.jpg)
Early Career (1994–2003)
Akhil Kumar started boxing internationally in 1999. He won a gold medal at the 6th YMCA Junior International Boxing Championship. In 2001, he won another gold medal at an invitational boxing event in Russia. By 2003, he had won a gold medal in the flyweight category. Overall, in his early career, he won twelve gold medals, one silver, and four bronze medals. He was also named "Best Boxer" three times.
Olympic Journey and Commonwealth Success (2004–2006)
In 2004, Akhil Kumar qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He earned his spot by finishing second at a qualifying tournament in China. Although he lost in the first round at the Olympics, he continued to train hard.
In 2005, he won a gold medal at the 4th Commonwealth Federation Boxing Championships in Scotland. He won a very close fight in the 54 kg final.
His biggest win came at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. He won the gold medal in the Bantamweight 54 kg category. In the final match, he beat Bruno Julie from Mauritius. He started strong, landing six punches without getting hit in the first round. He kept a good lead throughout the fight to secure the gold.
Beijing Olympics and World Cup (2008)
Akhil Kumar qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He had a great run, even beating a silver medalist from the 2004 Olympics in a qualifying event.
At the Beijing Olympics, he reached the second round in the Bantamweight 54 kg category. He then surprised everyone by beating the World Champion, Sergey Vodopyanov. The score was tied at the end, but the judges decided Akhil won because he landed more punches. He lost in the quarter-finals, but it was still a fantastic performance.
Later in 2008, he competed in the AIBA World Cup in Moscow. He won a bronze medal there, showing he was one of the top boxers in the world.
London Olympics (2012)
Unfortunately, Akhil Kumar could not compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He had an injury and could not lose enough weight in time for the qualifying tournament.
Awards
Akhil Kumar received the prestigious Arjuna award in 2005 for his excellent achievements in boxing.
