N. Usha, possibly one of the best boxers from India with two silver in the Worlds and a gold in the Asian championship, did not get the recognition she deserved in her career.
She is optimistic after the Boxing Federation of India recommended her for the Dhyan Chand Award
“I felt bad at missing the Arjuna Award when I was at the peak of my career. So, this time around, I am really hopeful given the list of my achievements,” Usha says in a chat with Sportstar on Wednesday.
For someone who was mentored by Andhra’s best known boxing coach I. Venkateswara Rao, Usha was also a six-times senior national champion from 2004-2010. “My father N.V. Ramana being a sub-junior national boxer, my interest was quite natural in the sport. But, it was lot of hard work as the kind of facilities existing now were not there then,” says the qualified NIS coach.
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Significantly, Usha was also with the Indian senior women’s team as coach for long and now, she is the coach of Indian Railways women’s team.
“The biggest disappointment when I look back was missing the 2012 London Olympics because of a knee surgery and neck injury. That was the most frustrating phase,” recalls the senior officer in East Coast Railway.
Usha is expecting a couple of her trainees to make it to the Olympics. She regularly trains state boxers whenever she is in Visakhapatnam. “I want to see my girls achieve what I failed to do."
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