Manoj Kumar is an Indian boxer who won a gold medal in the light welterweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He was born in the year 1986 on 10th December and hails from Rajound village, Kaithal district in Haryana. His father Sher Singh retired from the Indian Army, while his mother is a housewife.
Career of Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar at first started his career as an athlete, while his elder brother Rajesh Kumar was a rising boxer. Rajesh Kumar started to coach Manoj Kumar and also insisted his younger brother Mukesh Kumar to change from judo to boxing. At YMCA Boxing Tournament in 2003, he won silver medal. Then, in 2004, he won the Bronze medal in Russian Junior International Tournament, following it up with Bronze medal in Olympic Qualifying Boxing Tournament in 2008. Manoj Kumar became national Champion for the first time when he beat defending champion Som Bahadur Pun in 2008. He then lost to Brazilian Myke Carvalho at a margin of 4-5 in the first round of World Championship in 2009 and secured a bronze in the 2007 Asian Boxing Championship and a bronze medal in the 2009 Czech Grand Prix. He then won gold medal at the 10th YMCA International Boxing Tournament in 2007 and also in YMCA Boxing Tournament in 2004. He won the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games 2010
Manoj Kumar won against D Lassayo (Sierra Leone) in Commonwealth Games 2010. Then he won against G Gaasite (Botswana) and won against B Mathenge of Kenya in the quarters. Then he won 3-1 against V Knowles of Bahamas in a low scoring semi-final. He then won 11-2 against Bradley Saunders of England in the final to secure a gold medal. In 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships, Kumar reached the quarterfinals but lost to Tom Stalker at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships. Earlier in the competition, Kumar had defeated Hu Qing and had sealed his qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games.
In London Olympics 2012, Manoj won the first round against Serdar Hudayberdiyev but lost his pre-quarterfinal bout against world number 1 Tom Stalker of Great Britain in a divisive manner. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Sam Maxwell. Then in 2016 South Asian Games held in Guwahati, Manoj Kumar won Gold Medal in his weight category. In 2018, India Open International Boxing Tournament held in New Delhi, Manoj Kumar wins Bronze Medal in his weight category. Then he won Bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held at Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Awards of Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar was awarded Arjuna Award by Government of India in 2014.
