Boxer Thapa, who competed in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, was surrounded by media persons and cameras at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Kathmandu during a function organized on Sunday by the Nepal Boxing Association to honor him for his contributions. Thapa is one of six players who had represented the country in Nepal´s first ever Olympic participation in 1964.[break]
Though Thapa, a former British Army soldier and a non-resident Nepali, comes home once or twice every year, only his family and relatives knew about it. Thapa had left the country for the first time at the age of eight in 1953 with his father, who was serving in the British Army. Thapa currently resides in Hong Kong.
Thapa, now in his late sixties, looked no less spirited than a young boxer during his felicitation. "Punching, footwork and stamina are very important in boxing," said the 67-year-old. "When fighting in the ring the distance should not be more than six inches," Thapa told young boxers.
Along with Thapa, three other boxers -- Bhim Bahadur Gurung, Ram Prasad Gurung and Om Prasad Pun --- and two marathon runners -- Ganga Bahadur Thapa and Bhupendra Silwal -- had participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
All the four boxers were British Army soldiers based in Hong Kong, and thus remained away from the spotlight. Though all four of them knew each other well, they met athletes Thapa and Silwal for the first time in Tokyo.
"We stayed at the same house in the Olympic village. We used to go for boxing training in the morning and they [Thapa and Silwal] used to do their training," said boxer Thapa recalling the Olympics. "We did not speak a lot with the athletes as all of us used to return tired in the evening. We left for Hong Kong after the Olympics and they returned to Nepal."
Marathon runner Silwal and Thapa have already died. Boxer Pun has also died while the whereabouts about Bhim Bahadur Gurung are unknown. Another boxer Ram Prasad Gurung is in Chitwan.
According to Thapa, he met Gurung on March 30 in Pokhara felt very happy. "We were together in the army and it was our first meeting after retirement. It was a great pleasure to meet him," said Thapa, who plans to return to Nepal and settle here after a couple of years.
"Now I have become older. I will return to Nepal with my wife after a few years," said Thapa, who has four daughters and a son. Thapa is currently staying with his wife and third daughter in Hong Kong.
Born is Syangja, Thapa went to Malaysia with his father when he was eight. He was recruited by Boys Company Brigade of Gurkhas in 1954 at the age of 14. Three years later he joined the British Army and was posted in Hong Kong.
Thapa learned boxing at the regiment in Hong Kong and featured in various competitions from Hong Kong and internal tournaments of the British Army. Hong Kong was ineligible to compete in the Olympics as it was a British colony, so the British Army took the initiative for his participation from Nepal, said Thapa. "We knew nothing about the Olympics then and the army had taken the initiative for our participation."
Recalling his bout, Thapa said, "I was 18 when I participated in the Olympics. I had competed in the 51 kg category and was drawn with a non-white American in the first bout. He was 33 and I learnt later that he was the bronze medalist of the previous edition. Unfortunately I lost the first bout. But Om Prasad Pun won his first bout."
Thapa said he was very pleased to be honored 50 years after representing the country in the Olympics. After retiring from the British Army in 1986, Thapa came to Nepal and worked in the Rapti Area Welfare. But he returned to Hong Kong in 1992 again and started working for a security company. Thapa retired from the company in 2010.
Thapa, who has a home at Traffic Chowk, Butwal, plans to return to Nepal and serve boxing if the Nepal Boxing Association so wishes. "I don´t know much about Nepali boxing. But I have heard about the young generation of boxers. I should share my experience with the young boxers and serve the nation."
Related story
Olympian Hamal releases autobiography
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
