We live in a place where not all champions are treated equally. Some lives in the limelight while some in poverty.
Rajesh Kumar Kasana, popularly known as Luka in his village lives just a few kilometres away from the house of his role model, Vijender Singh’s house in Bhiwani.
Though Rajesh has already entered the professional boxing circuit, he struggles to make ends meet. His only source of income is a tea stall that he runs with his brother.
He runs the shop from morning five till 1 pm, rests for a few hours and goes to practice boxing at 6 pm. He left his school when he was very young as his father, a driver by profession died due to cancer.
He took up driving initially to support the family but wasn’t earning a lot there which forced him to set up a tea stall with a few eatables. He had to sell his land, family property to take care of his sister’s cancer treatment. Unfortunately, they couldn’t save her.
Royal Sports Promotions is sponsoring the champion, provides all the basic kits for the boxing. Still, it is not enough for his survival.
On the professional front, he became a pro in 2015 and has won 9 out of his ten professional matches with the one being a draw, means, he is still unbeaten. He is, in fact, the Number 1 Lightweight professional boxer in India and is 221st in the world (WBC) professional boxing rankings in his weight category.
“He (Vijender) is an inspiration to many. I was never in the amateur boxing circuit but I am a professional boxer. He is a veteran and my hero. I want to become like him. Whenever I meet him, I will ask him to show me the way to become a renowned professional boxer like him,” the boxer told to TOI.
