Sucker Punching the Stereotypes

Published On: July 13, 2024 10:25 AM NPT By: Gaurab Baral

Bold. Brave and Tough

If one were audacious enough to summarize the world of combat sports in just a few words, perhaps, these words would be a decent attempt.

Combat sports is an umbrella term encompassing physical contact sports that involve individual player-vs-player combat. Sports like Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Traditional Wrestling, Kickboxing, Jujutsu, etc; each a universe within, are included within the vast domain of combat sports.

One such combat athlete who is brave enough to face the hardest of adversities, tough enough to navigate the difficulties, and skilled enough to succeed in her discipline is, 21 years old boxer Susma Tamang.

Susma’s childhood played a vital role in shaping her as a person and an athlete. She grew up in Naxal in a very humble background. Boxing influenced her at a very early age, due to her elder sister being a boxer herself. The influence started to materialize into a passion when her father introduced her to boxing club at the age of 16. While recalling her childhood memories, Susma remembers that she never shied away from the bullies; a trait that assisted in morphing her into the fearless boxer that she is today.

Under the guidance of coaches Nabin Tandukar and Rajkrishna Maharjan, teenage Susma learned in and outs of boxing. In addition to sharpening the boxing technique and skillsets, she was taken aback by the humility, hard work, and devotion shown by the seniors towards the game. The supportive environment inside club helped in improving her craft.

Susma started taking part in the tournaments at the age of 16 and a year later, her ascendency had begun. In the 8th National Games, Susma overcame all the odds to bag the gold in the Women’s 48kg category; defeating the more experienced and accomplished challengers on the way. At just 17, Susma became the youngest ever National Champion, a record that has not been bettered till date. She recalls that to prepare for the National Games, she had completely devoted herself to the training; even missing to attend Grade 12’s lectures for a month.

The meteoric rise continued when she secured a 5th-place finish in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championship 2021. The World Boxing Championship appearances followed subsequently, with young Susma fighting valiantly against the more experienced competitors. The ASBC Asian U-22 Boxing Championship 2023 in Bangkok saw Susma take Nepalese boxing to the never-before-seen heights. Nepal got the first-ever finalist in the Asian Level Championship when Susma defeated Mongolia’s Byeisyenbyei Janarguli. Despite clinching historic silver for Nepal, Susma feels things could have been a lot better had she been 100 percent physically fit for the final.

At the 18th NNIPA Sports Award 2079, Susma was adjudged as the ‘Best Female Athlete’ of the year; the first instance that a boxer had achieved such feat.

The ever-improving Susma seeks to learn newer things with each bout and training session. Her first-ever battle in the professional boxing world was against the then-reigning national champion in the Prakash Dahal National Boxing Championship . She was told to forfeit the contest; as the rookie 15-year-old was seen as no match for the champion. As she has done throughout her life, Susma took on the challenge with her chin up. She lost the match, however, the defeat gave her the sense that she belonged among the best. The new-found confidence helped her in conquering the subsequent championships.

Susma dreams of representing Nepal in the Olympics one day. Not making it to the Paris 2024 is one of the biggest regrets of her career so far. However, she is confident that if provided with the standard training for the next Olympics, even the Olympic medal isn’t a distant dream. Susma’s young career has been built on the back of being bold, brave, and tough. The patriarchal Nepali society shamed her family for failing to have a male heir/son; to the extent of calling her father disgusting names. Sports have never been the priority of Nepalese society. A budding athlete faces discouragement at every step; even more so if it is a female dreaming of carving out a career in the male-dominated sport. Susma was bold enough to choose the path that very few saw her succeeding in. She faced all the stereotypical adversities and challenges bravely. Her ever-improving boxing career is a testament to the incredible physical and mental toughness she possesses. Hailing from a society that disdains women just for being opinionated, Sushma has set the milestones that even the best male athletes in the country would be proud of.

As much as boxing has given her, Susma aims to return it to the boxing fraternity one day. The dire state of sports in Nepal is evident to everyone. Combat Sports, which are not mainstream yet, face even more challenges. She dreams of being able to promote boxing as a professional sport through which one can earn a livelihood. Susma credits her late Grandmother, her parents, the Naxal Boxing Club, coaches Nabin Tandukar and Rajkrishna Maharjan, the close friends and family circle as the source of her strength.

Susma is an example of relentless dedication, hard work, and sacrifice. Her journey is a testament to the fact that if one is bold, brave, and tough enough, no challenges are difficult to overcome.