DEVENDRO SINGH, 20 Category: 49 kg Hails from: Manipur Sporting high: A commendable quarter-final finish at the 2011 World Championship

In one year, this rookie has gone from a non-entity to possible medal winner. Laishram Devendro Singh, 20, who joined the senior national camp last year, stunned the country’s top names in his weight category during the trials for the 2011 World Championships. “At the championships, my confidence helped me reach the quarters and win a place at the London Olympics,” says Singh. “Now, I want to make up for not winning a medal at the World Championship by bagging one in London.”
 

DEVENDRO SINGH, 20 Category: 49 kg Hails from: Manipur Sporting high: A commendable quarter-final finish at the 2011 World Championship

Since he made the cut, Singh has become a household name in Yurembam Awang Leikai village in Manipur’s Imphal West district.
BB Mohanty, chief coach at Army Sports Institute, Pune, hand-picked 32 kids from Manipur, but only seven were able to endure the training beyond a month. One of them was Singh. “Before being picked by Mohanty sir, I had little idea about boxing,” says Singh. “Boxing has given me everything. I even got to fly and visit many countries.”