Representing the Army, Sumit secured his place in the Indian boxing squad in the men’s 70kg division for the upcoming CWG and Asian Games after defeating Deepak in the final on Friday. The victory capped an impressive campaign that also saw him defeat World Cup gold medalist Hitesh Galia in the semi-finals.The return, however, was anything but easy. Sumit suffered a serious ACL and meniscus injury after twisting his knee badly inside the ring during the national championships during the Paris Olympic qualifiers. The injury kept him out of competition for nearly two years and ultimately ruled him out of the Paris race.“It took me a long time to make a comeback, almost two years. I am happy that I have won the election,” Sumit told TOI after his contest. The boxer underwent surgery and rehabilitation in Mumbai for about a year and a half, but the mental struggle proved even tougher.He said that thoughts of quitting boxing came to my mind. It looked like I would never be able to box again. After rehab I didn’t feel the same energy in my knees. I thought my boxing career was over.Sumit revealed that he hid his surgery from his family while dealing with the emotional toll of recovery. The turning point came after interactions with her childhood coach Ved Prakash, other trainers and family members, who helped her regain confidence and emotional strength.Now competing in the 70kg category after dropping down from 75kg, Sumit said the shift is good for him. He added, “When I started boxing, I used to compete around that weight. It was difficult to lose weight earlier because of a ligament injury. Now I’m happy to finally come back stronger.”Final CWG, Asiad squad:Women: Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jasmin Limboria (57kg, CWG only), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Parveen Hooda (65kg), Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg, CWG only), Lulina Borgohen (75kg).Men: Jadumini Singh (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Aditya Pratap Singh (65kg, CWG only), Sumit Kundu (70kg), Ankush (80kg), Kapil Pokharia (90kg) and Narendra Birwal (+90kg).
