New Delhi: “He will definitely bring many more laurels for the nation in the years to come.” It was that affirmative statement from the 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar for his protege Mandeep Jangra, who had confirmed a medal in the same CWG event of the 2014 edition held in Glasgow.
In the men’s 69kg division, Mandeep prevailed over Augusto Mathule of Mozambique (3-0 in Round of 32), Kestna Davis of Brazil (3-0 in Round of 16) before Daniel Lewis of Australia couldn’t get the clearance to fight his quarter-final bout. As a result, the Haryana-born pugilist reached the last-four stage to assure India of a medal.
He edged past Northern Ireland’s Steven Donnelly in the semifinal, but was handed a 0-3 defeat in the big match by English man Scott Fitzgerald, and hence settled for a silver medal. This was just a year after he claimed silver at the 2013 Asian Amateur Boxing Championship in Jordan.
However, just when things were looking up, Jangra’s career took a downtrodden route. Despite coming off the back of some good global and continental displays, the talented pugilist was ignored by the selection committee of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Jangra felt that he met everything for the eligibility to make the camp for the two multi-sport events after clinching the gold medal at the Ulaanbaatar Cup in Mongolia. Instead, Manoj Kumar represented India in the men’s welterweight 69kg at the continental event.
“I did well at the amateur level but due to politics, I was suppressed and stopped,” Mandeep told News9 Sports. “I won gold and they didn’t. I was told whoever wins medals will be selected. I had gold in my weight category and no one else had any medals.”
“My selection trials weren’t taken and someone else was sent.”
“In the big bout league, I trained with kids of five years of age and yet came and defeated some big players to win five bouts in a row. Despite this, I couldn’t find my name there.”
The Transition to Professional Boxing: Challenges and Triumphs
Jangra didn’t get bogged down by the massive setback and fuelled himself with the hunger and desire to prove his mettle by turning into a professional boxer. He was signed by former American boxer Roy Jones Jr (silver medallist at 1988 Olympics) in March 2023, and caught on to the nitty gritty of the professional boxing under the nine-time world champion. It was a massive shift in technicality and the training process was demanding as well.
“I had to change my style for professional. Had to improve my power punches since I wasn’t a powerful boxer but a technical boxer,” Mandeep said.
“I trained in Florida at Pro Box motion and then. Roi jons jr (9 time world champion) trained me. He has a reputation in professional boxing and has a good visionary,” he added.
He made his professional debut in March 2021 and has maintained a terrific record with 11 victories out of 12 bouts, including seven knockout wins. In November 2024, the 31-year-old emerged as the world champion in the super featherweight of the World Boxing Federation (WBF).
He thumped Conor McIntosh of the United Kingdom (UK) 10-0 in the final with a unanimous decision, making Mandeep the first Indian to become a world champion in any of the pro boxing categories.
Advocating for Indian Boxing: Recognition and the Future
The dismay was followed by a lack of recognition by his state government and the people of the country. He cited the stark contrast of how the winner of Big Boss (a reality show) was felicitated by his state government. In a podcast with Sportzzbook, a clip of the world champion went viral, viewed by more than five lakh users. Mandeep expressed his concerns about how world champions are not being given their due and why it can discourage the next generation from participating in sports.
“I just spoke the truth in that video and people supported it. You understand in sports that who is real and who is reel,” Mandeep told News9 Sports.
“When we do something for the country then your achievement should be known by its citizens. But if this doesn’t take place then will it inspire the upcoming athletes?”
“Today most of the public are going behind reels. And then the youth will also think of making reels and attracting more followers. What is the message we are setting up for the society?”
“I don’t have any problem with the government, any influencer or an artist. My issue was that why isn’t sports being promoted?” he added.
Mandeep Jangra backs Nishant Dev
In recent times, 24-year-old boxer Nishant Dev, who represented India in the Paris Olympics last year, has opted to follow Mandeep’s suit, turning into a professional boxer. He was signed by Matchroom Boxing and will make his debut on January 25.
Mandeep backed Nishant’s decision to move to professional boxing at a young age, citing that he would have time to pick up the style to become a world champion. While giving his own example, the Hissar-based pugilist says that the transition from amateur to professional level means adjusting the style, endurance and defence, which takes a few years to acclimatise to.
“Nishant has taken a good decision at this stage. He has the time by his side. At a young age, it is good start professional,” Mandeep said.
“I hope he (Nishant) does well and he has enough time to look for the changes. He has the calibre to win the world title,” he added.
Mandeep Jangra’s journey from a Commonwealth Games silver medalist to the first Indian World Boxing Federation (WBF) super featherweight champion is a testament to resilience. Despite setbacks including being overlooked for national teams due to alleged politics within the sport, he transitioned to professional boxing, achieving significant success. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
