Category: AthletesPage 3 of 5
People of Legends | “I was one of those kids who always got bullied, pushed to the wall, slapped on the face. Looking at Iman, I did not want him to experience the same thing. So I thought I needed him to learn self-defence.”
People of Legends | “I think that if you can face a stranger head on, take punches and be able to hug it out after that, everything else you do on a daily basis is going to be so much easier.”
“A Greek god? Lol! I wasn’t born like this. I was a very skinny guy. When I graduated from secondary school, I was about 50kg.”
People of Legends | “He made me realise I’m not the smartest after all; I’m not the strongest after all; and I’m not the most confident after all. People can beat me up when I’m alone in the ring. All that street fighting practice was nothing. This was real boxing.”
People of Legends | “I’ve never told anybody this, but ever since I won my first tournament at 14, I would put my gold medal around my mother’s neck. I’m not sure why I do this; maybe it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that I can make her proud.”
People of Legends | “When I was in prison, my counsellor told me that since I like to fight so much, why not fight in the ring instead? He told me I was smart but I was letting my friends control me. I can think for myself; don’t be their puppet. I took his advice to heart.”
“That’s what life is about. It’s about winning and losing. And if you do lose, it’s about how you overcome the failures to prove your self-worth. Never give up…”
“Boxing is such an enigma. There’s just something very ironic about it. It’s predictable yet so unpredictable. We fight in a ring even though it’s a square. We try to kill each other for three rounds; but, at the end of it, we respect each other even more.”
People of Legends | “Everybody has their own pace and goals in boxing, so don’t be pressured by what others think you should or should not do. You know where your heart is. Everyone has their own journey in boxing so do what feels right to you.”
People of Legends | “Because I’m dyslexic, I got judged for being very behind in class. I was mentally and physically abused by the other kids in school; but, it doesn’t matter anymore because I’ve worked hard to be at the level where I’m at now.”
“Sometimes you feel like the path is long, but you need to take things one step and one day at a time. Instead of exhausting your mind thinking about the future, just do your best. If I can overcome all of my hardships and come out stronger, so can you.”
Kurt Ganapathy wades through a sea of red (with a few waves of lilywhite) in Boat Quay on a historic night in the UCL.
“I realised that in Singapore, we’re a bit more reserved, scared and cautious to do things. If you’re passionate about something, have a concrete plan, be consistent and be courageous enough to just dive into it.”
People of Legends | “What’s most important is that you never give up on yourself…You’re limited by yourself; nobody decides what your limitations are for you.”
I’ve learnt to keep working hard, have faith and trust the process. Whether it’s sports or business, believing in ourselves and our journey will help us achieve our goals.
People of Legends | “At the end of the day, I just want to see our local boys and girls put in the hard work and win. When they win, I win too.”
People of Legends | “I want my dad to know that I really respect him a lot. We know it hasn’t been easy for him being a dad and a mom at the same time.”
Through “In My Shoes”, I hope to remove that financial barrier and give every kid in Singapore equal opportunity and access to proper (sports) footwear.
I knew there was no fixed road to follow if you wanted to be a fighter. But I guess I couldn’t help dreaming the dream, so I took a leap of faith and decided to just roll with it and see where this road would take me.
People of Legends | “Compassion is important because it helps me connect with people. I was at my worst when I felt like people didn’t understand me, so now I want to feel what others feel.”