Shortly, we have exciting plans to establish a boxing academy in the vibrant city of Lalitpur. This endeavor aims to create a dedicated space where individuals can engage in comprehensive boxing training, fostering a supportive environment for skill development, physical fitness, and overall well-being. Stay tuned for more details as we embark on this journey to bring the art and discipline of boxing to the community of Lalitpur and the entire Nepal.
Mr.Puran Rai, a trailblazing Nepalese boxer, achieved a historic victory by becoming the first from Nepal to claim the UBA UK championship title in the 58kg category.
Max Boxing Promotion has recently formed an association with Bells Boxing Academy in Lesmahagow, Scotland, in the year 2023. The primary objectives of this partnership are: 1. To foster the growth of boxing in Nepal and promote European boxing events. 2. To provide opportunities for talented Nepalese boxers. 3. To educate and advocate against drug use among youth through boxing. 4. To support street children by using boxing as a means to provide meals. 5. To address mental health issues through boxing as a form of therapy. 6. To empower women with self-defense skills through boxing training. 7. To organize seminars and training sessions for the development of key skills in the sport, such as refereeing, judging, and cutman techniques, in the professional boxing realm.
Max (Manohar) Basnet, 14 times national boxing champion, recently won an international boxing championship in Japan. He has devoted 15 years of his life to boxing already and even after all these years of struggle, he is still up for participating in one more international boxing championship, if it’s for a good cause. Basnet used to play all sorts of sports like volleyball, wrestling, and boxing on a national level but he took to boxing after realizing he wasn’t as good at it as he was in other sports. “In 2009, I lost a boxing match and that was a real blow to my self-esteem. So I chose to focus on it and went to Haryana and Mumbai to train,” he says. It was in these cities where he trained and played local games and won many medals. He won boxing championships in Darjeeling, Mumbai, and Maharashtra. He also won the All India Interclub Championship and was awarded as the Best Player in 2010. Basnet says he returned to Nepal because this is where his heart was but speaking up against corruption and nepotism in the Nepali boxing scene led to a three-year suspension. However, he did not lose heart. He chose to train further and took up boxing with a passion like never before. “When I look back, I feel the suspension was a good thing. It gave me the push needed to prove myself. I became focused and determined,” he says. The sports sector in Nepal is not as developed as it is in other countries. Basnet says that the young generation of sportsmen has the capabilities needed to represent Nepal in the international arena but they don’t receive the support required. Instead, they are made to question if devoting their life to a particular sport is actually a mistake. “Like any other sport, there is no secure future in Nepali boxing. When I first decided to pursue boxing as a profession my parents were constantly worried about my future,” he says. Boxing has, however, changed his life and given Basnet a new identity. “When I meet other boxers, they feel like family to me. Boxing has also taught me many life lessons. It has increased my physical fitness, confidence, and public relation among other things,” he says adding that he feels he has better control over his mind, body, and emotions today than ever before. “I started boxing when I was just 16 years old. So, I believe youths should be highly encouraged in boxing. They have the frustration and aggression needed to pursue this sport. I believe channeling those emotions towards a sport can be highly beneficial for them,” he explains. Basnet claims to be inspired by American professional boxer Rocky Marciano. He says that watching Marciano has taught him how to get into a strong mind frame before entering the ring to face the opponent. Opponents, he says, are people who motivate us to better ourselves. “We learn new techniques from our opponents and we must take them as teachers in a way. Our opponents can teach us how to develop a strong mind and work well under pressure,” he says. Basnet also feels that Nepali women too should be highly encouraged to take up boxing and self-defense classes. He believes learning to box can instill confidence in them as well as teach them to protect themselves, which is definitely an important skill. “Boxing can teach people a thing or two about becoming mentally and physically strong. And I’m not just talking about women here,” says Basnet adding that since there are very few women in professional boxing in Nepal, more women taking it up would definitely be a good thing for the sport. Talking about the boxing scene in the country, Basnet laments that Nepal still follows the 90s training and practice methods. This, he says, is unfortunate because the sport has made a lot of progress in the rest of the world and it’s difficult for Nepali players to keep up. He further expresses his disapproval of the fact that the government doesn’t seem to give a lot of priority to sports in general, let alone boxing in particular. “I believe many Nepali athletes and sportsmen/women have what it takes to perform really well in the international arena but because they lack funding or the platform, they are unable to do so,” he says. According to Basnet, many young players have to take up side jobs as they are unable to sustain themselves through just sports. “It’s safe to say that a lot of young sportspeople are demotivated by this,” he says adding that there’s a need to come up with a vision and a plan for positive change in this regard. Basnet himself is determined to do whatever it takes to develop the boxing sector and make it prosper. And currently the chairman of the Nepal Professional Boxing Commission, he believes he has the power to do so. The organization, he says, wants to promote boxing and give enough opportunities and platforms to those who want to pursue it as a profession. “And I believe doing that is the first step in taking the sport to greater heights,” he concludes
American professional boxer Keith Thurman Jr shared his experience and lent some lessons during a motivational session for Nepali boxers here today. Around 20 boxers attended the session at Total Physical Fitness where Thurman not only shared his experience but also interacted with the local players and posed with them for pictures. The boxers were seemingly happy to be with one of their best players. Thurman, nicknamed ‘One Time,’ had nothing to do with his professional fighting in Nepal as he is here to marry his 24-year-old Nepali girlfriend Priyana Thapa. The two first met in Japan a year ago and spent time together before Thurman proposed to marry Thapa. They are tying a nuptial knot on Thursday. Basnet - who is also the chairman of the Nepal Professional Boxing Council, South Asian representative in the World Boxing Organisation, and promoter of the first professional boxing tournament of the country, Champ of Champions - won his last gold medal in the 81kg weight category during the eighth National Games in Nepalgunj in 2019. Nepal’s seven-time national champion Manohar ‘Max’ Basnet, the organizer of the first-ever professional boxing of the country — Champ of Champions — cashed in on the opportunity of Thurman’s visit in Nepal and convinced him to the motivational speech to his boxers and others at the Total Physical Fitness in New Baneshwor. The unified welterweight world champion, having held the WBA title since 2013 (promoted to Super Champion in February 2017) and the WBC title since March 2017, Thurman believed that boxers are not born overnight and said one needed to perfect their own particular techniques to win fights. “Different boxers have their own techniques and they must perfect them through hard work as boxing is not an easy task,” said Thurman, who is known as a knockout artist and one of the hardest punchers in the welterweight division. “It needs a special type of heart and mind to be a boxer,” added Thurman had started boxing at the age of seven and got support from his family and school. “In the beginning, we had no gym and we trained in local parks as well as on basketball courts. We used to hold each other’s hands and two fighters used to fight inside the circle,” said Thurman. “As a title boy, I loved martial arts but I got inspired to do boxing after watching the game. However, I took boxing as martial arts rather than just boxing. I used to watch movies of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and others which inspired me to become a good fighter,” added Thurman. Thurman, who made his professional debut in 2007, holds a career record of 28-1. Among them, he won 22 bouts by knockouts and six by points, while the remaining one bout was a no-contest. “I had my first professional fight at the age of 18 and went on to win eight consecutive fights in first-round knockouts. That’s the reason I was nicknamed One Time,” shared Thurman, who also won seven national-level titles. Thurman asked the Nepali boxers to work hard, train hard and fight hard to be successful in boxing. “One needs to be very smart with the capacity of never giving up and being able to adapt to the changes are must in boxing,” he said. Thurman also shared his likes about the Kathmandu Valley. “I enjoy street foods in Nepal and also tried Panipuri as well as sweets,” said Thurman, who was amazed to see the valley without street lights. “The valley is a very interesting place. It has lots of traffic, motorbikes, and crazy traffic but nobody hit each other even in busy areas,” said Thurman. Basnet, who had a one-minute exhibition bout with Thurman said the Nepali boxers were motivated after having a session with the American boxer. “It’s a great thing for us to have a player like Thurman. I am sure these players enjoyed the session with Thurman and they are motivated to do well in the coming days,” said Basnet.
Manohar Basnet ‘Max’ of Lalitpur won the gold medal in the first Inter-club Valleywide Men’s Open Boxing Tournament here at the National Table Tennis Training Centre today. Basnet, who returned to the ring after more than two years, defeated Dhruba Ranabhat of Tribhuvan Army Club in the 81kg weight category final. Basnet had faced disciplinary action from the Nepal Boxing Association that kept him out of the ring since he quit the national team training ahead of the 2014 Asian Games. “It was not easy to return to the ring after almost three years,” said Basnet. “I was a little bit scared in the beginning but as the bout went on I got used to it,” he said. “I got emotional when I entered the ring and remembered the pain the Nepal Boxing Association had given me in these all years,” he said. “I am hopeful that I will be back to full swing after one or two more events,” added Basnet, who got the nickname of MaxBee while playing in the pro wrestling league in India. Meanwhile, Sushil Thapa of Naxal, who beat Milandeep Sunuwar of TAC in the 49kg final, was adjudged the best player of the tournament and received Rs 10,000. TAC won the team championship with a total of five gold medals. Karan Chaudhary edged past his TAC teammate Sudeep Shrestha to win the 52kg final, while Ganesh Thapa of Naxal won the gold medal in the 56kg weight category beating Munal Pun Magar of the Army. Yubaraj Karki was too strong against his Naxal teammate Kishor Sharma in the final of 60kg, while Mohan Thakuri of Army registered a win over Anoj Bhandari of Lalitpur in the 64kg weight category final. Also, Anish Shrestha of Banu’s Fitness claimed gold in the 69kg section beating Suraj Magar of Kathmandu Boxing Club, while Keshab Bam of Army came first in 75kg following his victory over clubmate Harkaram BK. Roshan Godar of the Army won the 91kg weight category gold defeating Megh Daniel Lama of Central Boxing Dojo. The gold and silver medal winners received Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 respectively, while bronze medallists earned Rs 500 each. Former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, National Sports Council Vice-president Lama Tendi Sherpa, and Nepal Olympic Committee President Jeevan Ram Shrestha among others handed over the prizes to the winners. A total of 51 boxers from 11 clubs took part in the event organized by National Boxing Association, Nepal.
