3 generations of Sheorans script ‘mini Cuba’ Bhiwani’s boxing rise

The legacy of boxing legend Capt Hawa Singh Sheoran, who held the title of the National Heavyweight Champion for 11 consecutive years (1961-1972), is being carried forward by his son, Sanjay Sheoran, a boxing Bhim Awardee; and his granddaughter, 26-year-old Nupur Sheoran.

Nupur prides herself on being a third generation boxer, winning medals at international competitions and contributing to Bhiwani’s reputation of being India’s boxing hub.

Among the many names of ‘factory of boxers’ Bhiwani is ‘mini Cuba’, a name the Sheoran family played a key role in earning. The name stands out among others as Cuba has long been known as a global superpower in boxing.

Nupur, who is currently the World Champion in her age category (81 kg), bagged a medal for the country in the ongoing World Boxing Championship, being held in Liverpool from September 4 to 14.

Nupur is now set to face her rival in the semi-final.

Sanjay said his daughter had made the entire nation proud with her achievement.

“Boxing runs in her blood. Following her grandfather’s footsteps, she decided to don the gloves and enter the ring. She is producing great results, and I am sure that she will bring more laurels for the country,” he said.

Sanjay, a boxing coach, said, between him, his father, and his daughter, the family had earned over 60 medals, receiving honours like the Dronacharya Award, Arjuna Award, and Bhim Award.

In fact, it was Capt Hawa Singh who introduced boxing to Bhiwani by setting up a coaching academy after his retirement from the Army in 1986. His efforts showed stellar results when a number of players — including Vijender Kumar, an Olympic medallist, and Akhil Kumar — made their mark at the international level. Bhiwani today positions itself at the centre of India’s boxing scene, having produced several sportspersons who have excelled at the national and international levels.

To honour to Capt Hawa Singh, who died on August 14, 2000, a boxing ring in town has been named after him, and a statue of him has been installed at Bhim Stadium. Besides being a national champion, he was a two-time Asian Champion and was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1988. He was posthumously honoured with the Dronacharya Award for coaching.

Following in his footsteps, Sanjay, an Asian medallist, now trains many new-generation boxing stars, including Olympian Pooja Bohra, World Champion Sachin, Asian medallist Diya, and Commonwealth medallists Naman and Akshay.