Did not get any benefit after winning bronze in World championships: Boxer Gaurav Bidhuri

Boxer Gaurav Bidhuri on Monday said that he did not get benefits to his expectation after winning the bronze medal in the World Championships.

He even said that he was expecting Arjuna Award as well. He had won the medal in the year 2017 and as a result, he had become only the fourth Indian to get a medal at the tournament.

"World Championship bronze I won for my father. I did not get any benefits, I just received a nominal amount from the central government. The people from railways gave me a small amount. I was expecting a lot as it is a very big medal," Bidhuri told ANI.

"Other people received big amounts, I was expecting it but I did not get it. I was also expecting Arjuna award as well, but I did not get it, no value of World Championship," he added.

The 26-year-old boxer said that his entire focus is on the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also said that he is trying to rectify the weakness in his game to leave no stone unturned in trying to prepare for the global games.

"Our national camp has just got over. Our Olympic qualifier will begin from January next year, so we have to participate in the National championship. We are preparing to take part in the tournament. My plus point has to be my speed, but I tend to get more aggressive, so I am trying to get more balanced in my mindset," Bidhuri said

"I am trying to rectify all my weak points. I missed World championship, but I am still motivated as my whole focus is on Olympics," he added.

The boxer also went on to voice his opinion on the point system that the federation takes into account while conducting trials. He said that when a player gets injured, it should be taken into consideration.

"Last year, I brought a World Championship medal. My past performances speak for itself so I thought I would get a chance in the trials. But I did not get it, so I did not like the selection procedure in my case. Ultimately you have to see how the boxer you will fare. There are different challenges for each boxer, so I do not find the point system that fair, but we have to accept it the way it is," Bidhuri said.

"People who have medals get the preference, but you should consider that I had an injury so that is why I missed out on the opportunity to win a medal. I spoke to my federation, but they have the point system in place so they acted in that manner," he added," he added.