CWG reward for hard-working Solanki

For Gaurav Solanki, the Commonwealth Games gold medal has come as a well-deserved recognition for his hard work and determination.

One, who had claimed a silver medal in the Commonwealth Youth Games, Gaurav Solanki never let his hard work go waste.

For lesser-known Gaurav Solanki, the Commonwealth Games (CWG) gold medal has come as a well-deserved recognition for his hard work and determination.

The 21-year-old Faridabad boy, who bagged the 52kg gold medal to be among the three Indian gold medallists among boxers here, has always relied on his willingness to toil in the training sessions and got befitting results from junior level.

One who had claimed a silver medal in the Commonwealth Youth Games, Solanki never let his hard work go waste. Following his silver in the Strandja Memorial event in Bulgaria, in February, Solanki prepared in all earnestness for the CWG and rose to his potential.

READ: CWG 2018: A memorable show with many takeaways for India

The way the orthodox boxer fought back from a disadvantageous position — two knock-downs in two minutes — against Sri Lankan Vidanalage Ishan Bandara, in the semifinals, told a lot about his character. His final against Northern Ireland's Brendon Irvine was not a walk in the park either.

'Simple boy'

“Gaurav is the most hard-working boxer in the camp. He is a simple boy with a lot of talent and boxes sensibly in the ring. He can go a long way and do well in bigger events, like the Olympics and World Championships,” said Jaydev Bisht, an experienced coach working in the National camp in Patiala.

The other male boxer, who grabbed a gold medal in this edition of the CWG, was none other than former World championship bronze medallist Vikas Krishan Yadav, who settled well in the 75kg, after the departure of the iconic Vijender Singh.

Some injury concerns and an unwanted disciplinary issue might have hurdled Vikas' journey briefly, but could not check his progress. He emerged stronger from the unnecessary controversy to give some excellent performances, including a gold medal in the Strandja event.

The 26-year-old carried on the momentum into the CWG to get his maiden gold medal, after beating Cameroon's Dieudonne Ntsengue.

“Vikas has been a performer in big stages. He was lucky to have a good draw and made the most of it,” noted Bisht.

(The writer is in Gold Coast at the invite of Tourism Australia)