Shiva Thapa still can’t quite believe that securing a fifth successive medal at the prestigious Asian Boxing Championships is “some sort of an unparalleled achievement”.
All he felt after being assured of it was a “sense of triumph over that wretched coronavirus.” The 27-year-old became the most successful Indian boxer in the history of the tournament by advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing edition in Dubai. His first was a gold in 2013, followed by a bronze in 2015, a silver in 2017 and another bronze in 2019.