Were there any stumbling blocks while researching for a sport like boxing?
Honestly, not too many. Thankfully, I’ve covered boxing as a reporter. Being one of few mainstream reporters who gave boxers attention in the early 2000s, I knew most of the prominent boxers, a few administrators and coaches. I was at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as well. Plus, having written a very detailed article on the history of Indian boxing for the International Journal of the History of Sport some years ago, a fair bit of research was already on my table when I started work. The rest was about connecting with boxers and others in their workspaces, and understanding the story of Bhiwani Junction. For the boxers too, it was a first; most were happy to give me time. Importantly, my approach was as a journalist and not as an expert. I think of the book as a very long article.

At the Bhowanipore cemetery in Kolkata rests PL Roy, the father of Indian boxing. PIc courtesy/ shamya dasgupta.