From football dreamer to rising boxing star: Jadumani Singh on family resistance, Manipur riots and a gold that slipped away

Greater Noida: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam’s childhood isn’t atypical of Indian society. The 21-year-old boxer from Manipur was passionate about football growing up and was quite good at the sport. His family members, however, weren’t too keen on young Jadumani spending more time on the field playing football with his friends than at his desk, urging him to focus on his studies rather than sports.

The same family members, however, went out of their way to ensure Jadumani’s focus did not waver, and that his boxing career did not come to a screeching halt at a turbulent time when riots were raging across his home state.

In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost after winning silver at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida, Jadumani opened up on the resistance that he faced from his family as far as love for football was concerned, and how his uncle changed his life forever by introducing him to the world of boxing.

“I didn’t know much about boxing at an early age. Used to love playing football as a kid, and I was quite good at it as well. Everyone used to like me as a player. My family didn’t support it initially, insisting I focus on my studies rather than play sports. I used to sneak out to play football regardless,” Jadumani told Firstpost at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium, which hosted the prestigious event that featured more than 130 athletes from 18 countries.

“My uncle introduced me to boxing. And although it wasn’t my first love, I’m fully committed to boxing now that I have decided to pursue a career in it,” he added.

Jadumani on Manipur riots, family support in grim situation

Manipur, home to some of the biggest names in Indian sport including boxing icons MC Mary Kom and L Sarita Devi, has been in a state of unrest over the past two years . The hill state in north-eastern India, after all, has witnessed ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities – predominantly Hindu and Christian respectively – after the former’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status was met with protests.

More than 250 people have been killed since the violence first broke out in May 2023 , with several incidents of rape and torture also being reported during this period, in addition to multiple churches and temples being destroyed.

Such a grim situation would have taken an emotional toll on Manipuri athletes, who would have been worried sick over the safety and well-being of their family members. Jadumani, however, revealed how his family helped him maintain focus on his schedule and not let the riots back home affect him.

“I had competitions lined up while riots were taking place back home across Manipur. But my family members ensured that the grim situation in my home state did not affect me mentally. Plus my family is based in Imphal, which wasn’t as affected as other parts of the state. So the riots did not affect me mentally and did not affect my participation in tournaments as such,” Jadumani, who hails from the Iroishemba village near the state capital, continued.

“My family remains a great source of inspiration. My uncle is prepared to go to any lengths to support my boxing journey.

The young pugilist also opened up on a chance encounter with Mary Kom and Sarita Devi, who were watching him compete at a district-level tournament, and how their words of appreciation inspired him in his boxing journey.

“I wasn’t aware of their accomplishments initially. I was competing at a district-level event when Sarita ma’am and Mary Kom ma’am noticed me and gave me 500 rupees each after my bout in appreciation, besides sharing tips for success.

“It was a great feeling to receive praise from such great players in my first competition. I slowly started falling in love with boxing thereafter, and made up my mind to put all my effort into the sport. So it’s mainly due to my uncle and my coach that I’m here today,” added the former national champion, whose senior journey began back in 2022.

‘Motivation at a home event like no other’

As for the five-day World Boxing Cup Finals that concluded on Thursday in Greater Noida, Jadumani was among 15 Indians fighting for gold on the final day.

Facing Uzbekistan’s Asilbek Jalilov in the men’s 50kg final, Jadumani – who had defeated Kazakhstan’s Nurzat Ongarov and Australia’s Omer Izaz earlier in the event – was widely expected to come out on top and add to India’s gold rush that was primarily led by the women.

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It would have also been a fitting end to the year after his quarter-final exit from the World Championships in Liverpool in September, where the men’s team had failed to collect a single medal.

Things, however, did not turn out as expected for the 21-year-old as he had to settle for silver after the judges delivered a 4:1 verdict in his opponent’s favour. For Jadumani, what was especially disappointing was the fact that he could not win in front of an energetic home crowd that had done a fantastic job in creating an electric atmosphere at the indoor venue.

“There was a lot of motivation at this World Cup. Had a feeling that I would win gold easily. The motivation and confidence that one gets from a home event is like no other. I was determined to win gold at this event, and while I put in a lot of effort and improved my game, things didn’t quite turn out today as I had hoped,” Jadumani continued.

“I had imagined that the gold would be mine, and that I would win gold for India. It ultimately slipped out of my grasp due to a mistake. Will work harder and win a better medal the next time

“It was wonderful to see the kind of reception that we got here, the amount of love that we received from the fans who turned up with so many of them eager to meet me, click pictures with me. That only motivates us to perform even better in the future. So the support from the crowd was wonderful, and I hope it remains the same in the next home event.

Jadumani opens up on ‘unfair’ verdict against Jalilov

This wasn’t the first time Jadumani had crossed paths with Jalilov – the two had faced each other in Stage 1 of the World Boxing Cup that had taken place in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil in April. Jalilov had triumphed in the semi-final clash back then and would go on to win gold, much like he did on Thursday.

Jadumani, however, wasn’t happy with the judging in either bout, claiming some unfair decisions had been made against him in both defeats.

“I have had fights with him in the past as well. But I wasn’t a fan of the final decision in that bout, felt that a point had been unfairly deducted. As for this bout, I admit I had been defeated in the first round, but I don’t think it should have been a 4:1 verdict.

“I refused to give up after the setback, believing I could still make a comeback. However, I thought that the scoring in the second was even more unfair. Was wondering how I got a 3:2 verdict against me. Didn’t like the verdict in the third round either, felt I should have been awarded the point.

“I had a lot of expectations from the event especially since it was taking place on home soil, and was highly motivated for the same. Didn’t achieve the result that I had hoped, but gave my best performance in the end.

Focus on Asiad, CWG and on adapting to a new weight category

As for the road ahead, Jadumani admits that while LA28 remains the ultimate dream for him, he is focused on the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games that will be taking place next year. In addition to adapting to the rigours of the 55kg category, which he will be moving to from 50kg and will have to alter his boxing style completely.

“Everyone’s dream is to shine at the LA Olympics. But one has to go through several steps in order to fulfil that dream. So I’m focusing on the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games for now.

“Will be making changes since I’m moving into the 55kg category. I’ll have to be more aggressive, will need more power in my punches, will have to have a bit more muscle. So will be working on those going forward,” the rising boxing star and potential Olympic medallist concluded.