What strikes first when you think of Boxing? Muhammad Ali? Rocky? Or our very own Mary Kom? Well, boxing is one of the most popular and entertaining sports in the world. It is unsurprising that 2018’s highest-paid sportsperson was a boxer. (If you still haven’t guessed, its Floyd Mayweather) However, considering the huge scale and demographics of the nation, India has not lived up to its potential in the sport.
There are multiple reasons, for this – a limited sport culture that has hardly moved beyond cricket and hockey, intense corruption that prevents even the limited funds available from reaching grassroots, minimum commercial sponsorship, limited media visibility matched with infrastructural deficiencies.
Along with these, low incentives through amateur boxing is another important reason for poor participation from players. The Punch Boxing event in progress Globally, Professional Boxing is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Also known as prizefighting, it is a sanctioned and regulated field of boxing. The bouts are fought for a predetermined purse that is split between the boxers as defined in the contract.
Unlike its amateur counterpart, Professional Boxing involves long bouts and elevated entertainment levels, making it more popular. However, it is still in its rudimentary phases in India. Arif (sponsor of Haryana State Boxing Association) wants to change that. Thus was created The Punch Boxing, India’s first boxing sports IP under the brand of Sports Oodles.
It is a platform designed for the development of Indian pugilists through elevated private outlay. Growth Having started with 20 Indians, 1 international boxer and around 1,500 strong audiences, The Punch Boxing has come a long way in the last two years. With an increasing boxing footfall, the team also wants to bring in more and more sponsors on board. “More sponsors will mean more money for the development of sports. We want to create a sustainable circle were boxers, audience, and the stakeholders coexist and get equal value,” Arif says.
Our sports federation must have to focus on other fields of sports as well to conquer the future achievements.
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