There can’t be a better teacher than setbacks: Thapa

Success propels but setbacks teach life lessons like none can, feels seasoned Indian boxer Shiva Thapa, who cannot wait to turn his “growth” story of a rollercoaster year into a maiden Asian Games medal this month.

The first and only Indian boxer with three consecutive Asian Championships medals - a gold (2013), silver (2017) and a bronze (2015), Shiva would be competing in his second Asian Games, scheduled from August 18 in Jakarta and Palembang.

The last time around he lost in the quarter-finals. Assam boxer offered a rather philosophical take on success and setbacks, careful to specify that by setbacks, he did not mean failures. “I think setbacks are a better teacher. They make you stronger and when you bounce back, it’s the most amazing feeling,” says the 25-year-old, one of only four Indian boxers to have a world championship medal in his cabinet.

“Success definitely propels you and makes you confident, but setbacks, they are like a tightly pulled bowstring; the farther it is pulled, the faster you go ahead. Success also teaches you things but a lot of times, you can get carried away too. But setbacks pump you up like nothing else,” he adds.

“The Asian Games mean a lot to me. By a lot, I mean, I can’t even tell you how much. It is a massive challenge first and foremost but a challenge that I am ready for. This is the biggest competition I would be in since shifting to 60kg in 2016, and the one that I have been waiting for.”