Jai Bhagwan to look for the cheapest pair of shoes

Today, he sports the best brands on his feet. But there was a time when financial constraints forced Jai Bhagwan to look for the cheapest pair of shoes in the market. At times, he managed with completely worn-out soles.
JAI BHAGWAN, 26 Category: 60 kg Hails from: Hissar, Haryana Sporting highs: Reached quarter-finals of World Championships (2011), CWG bronze (2010)

  “Hailing from a very humble background, budgeting was my biggest challenge. Till a while back, I used to buy shoes worth less than R50,” recalls Jai. “Somehow, my family and I managed. Today, I have everything from a house to a car – all thanks to boxing.”

After being dropped from the national squad prior to the 2008 Olympics, Bhagwan quit the sport and went to Hyderabad, where Indian Railways had posted him.
The triumph of close pal Vijender Singh in Beijing changed his perspective. He returned to boxing, and bagged bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Bhagwan booked a ticket to the London Olympics thanks to his quarter-final finish at the World Championship in 2011.