Rising from humble beginnings, Coach Ashok Kumar Gautam has produced 11 international-level players and multiple national champions in Boxing & Wushu. His disciplined coaching and belief in honest hard work continue to shape athletes who bring pride to Rajasthan and the nation.

Ashok Kumar Gautam is the Founder of Mahabali Sports Academy in Kota, an institution that has quietly but consistently shaped international-level athletes in Wushu, Boxing, and Core Taekwondo.

Since 2003, he has been personally teaching at the academy, driven by discipline, hard work, and an unshakable belief in the power of sports to transform lives.

Mahabali Sports Academy has produced 11 international-level athletes so far, a rare achievement for any single academy in Rajasthan. In 2013, the academy created history in Wushu by winning a Silver Medal at the Junior Asian Championship. Two years later, in 2015, Vaibhav, trained at the academy in Taekwondo, represented India in two international tournaments. These early successes laid a strong foundation for what would become a steady stream of national and international achievements.

The academy’s most remarkable milestones came through boxing. In 2021, their student Arundhati won a Gold Medal at the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, becoming the first boxer from Rajasthan to win an International Gold Medal in the sport. She later added another historic achievement by winning Gold at the Senior World Cup, once again marking a first for the state. Arundhati is also the first player from Rajasthan to participate in the Asian Games, firmly placing Kota on the global boxing map.

Several other athletes from Mahabali Sports Academy have made their mark internationally. Divyanshi won a Bronze Medal in Wushu in 2025, while Priyanshi also represented India at the international level. Earlier, Yashita Kumawat participated in the Asian Championship, and Mehak Sharma won a Silver Medal at the Asia Cup last year.

Mehak also competed in the World Boxing Championship. Unfortunately, a leg injury forced her to withdraw; otherwise, she had strong potential to become a world champion. Nisha Gurjar played in the World Championship in 2021, and Isha represented India in an international boxing competition in Sweden. In total, 11 players from Kota, trained under Ashok Kumar Gautam, have competed internationally in Wushu and Boxing.

Ashok Kumar Gautam’s story is rooted in struggle and perseverance. Born and brought up in Kota, he came from a financially weak background. As a child, he often ran nearly five kilometers daily to attend school, work, and manage other responsibilities. Sports fascinated him from a young age, but the path was not easy. At the age of 12, while practicing wrestling at school, he suffered a serious injury and broke his collarbone. He initially lived in Chittorgarh and later moved to Kota in 1995 to join an academy, but financial difficulties forced him to start working at a very early age to support his family.

He believed that sports offered the best opportunity to build a meaningful career. He began training in Judo and Wrestling, learning Judo under Gupta Ji from Jawahar Nagar, Kota, and practicing wrestling at Shri Ram Akhada. Over time, he realized that mastering combat sports was a lifelong process. He was deeply drawn to learning new techniques, movements, and fighting styles. This passion gradually evolved into a desire to teach children everything he had learned, so that they could move ahead faster and avoid the struggles he faced.

When he began teaching in 2003, the results were immediate. In the very first year, 13 Taekwondo students from his academy won a total of 18 medals. In 2009, he introduced Wushu training, and in the same year, the academy won a National Award in the sport. By 2013, Mahabali Sports Academy had earned its first International Award. The consistency was striking—every year, if 25 students competed at the national level, at least 15 returned with medals. In 2017, when Taekwondo became mired in controversies, Ashok made the difficult decision to stop Taekwondo training and focus on other disciplines.

The boxing story began with a turning point. Coach Ashok Kumar Gautam met Arundhati’s father, who wanted his daughter to be trained for the Olympics. Arundhati’s father had explored multiple academies across India but failed to find the right environment. He believed that Mahabali Sports Academy, under Coach Ashok’s guidance, could provide the discipline and dedication Boxer Arundhati needed. Initially hesitant to train an Olympic-level boxer, Gautam nevertheless committed himself fully once he accepted the responsibility.

He immersed himself in learning, studying boxing videos extensively and designing training methods tailored to Arundhati’s strengths and weaknesses. The results were extraordinary. In her very first competition in Rohtak, she won a National-level Gold Medal and was declared Best Boxer. This was followed by a series of international victories, including seven consecutive Gold Medals at international championships and a Youth World Championship title.

In 2019, she won gold at the Asian Games. In 2024, she narrowly missed advancing beyond the pre-qualification round by just one point, affected by weight loss and physical weakness. Gautam remains confident that she will return stronger in 2028 and surpass her own achievements.

Beyond medals, Ashok Gautam takes pride in the life stability his students have achieved. Many of his athletes have secured government jobs, reinforcing his belief in the long-term value of disciplined sports training. Currently, 12–15 Wushu players from his academy are in government service. Arundhati Choudhary serves as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (Havaldar) in the Indian Army, a rank she received through direct selection. After winning another World Cup medal, she was promoted further, becoming a role model for aspiring athletes.

Gautam’s own education was limited by circumstances. Though interested in both studies and sports, he could only study up to Class 8. After a gap of five years, he attempted Class 10 but was left with a supplementary subject. Incomplete education closed the door to government employment, pushing him to commit fully to sports. He is determined that the next generation should not face the same limitations and should be empowered to excel both academically and athletically.

He is known for his strict discipline, a trait some criticize. Ashok Gautam firmly believes that results come from discipline, not comforting words. He questions why, despite having many coaches in Rajasthan, few produce consistent international-level athletes. At his academy, indiscipline and timepass are not tolerated. Students must be serious about their goals, and this uncompromising approach ensures that at least one athlete from his academy reaches the international level regularly.

Ashok Kumar Gautam motivates students who are passionate about sports to give their best, while those not inclined toward sports are encouraged to focus on studies or other interests rather than waste time. He advises young athletes to choose one goal and pursue it consistently, warning that frequently switching sports is often an escape from hard work rather than a genuine search for passion.

His role models reflect his mindset. He grew up watching Bruce Lee movies and drew inspiration from his philosophy and discipline. In boxing, Mike Tyson remains his ideal. His favorite lines, which he often recalls, emphasize perseverance, courage, and the certainty that sincere effort never goes unrewarded.

From working for ₹5 at the age of seven in Chittorgarh to attending school in the morning and laboring in the afternoons at theaters, hotels, stalls, whitewashing sites, and municipal projects, Ashok Gautam’s life has been shaped by relentless effort. He worked as a cleaner at Tarantaal Swimming Pool in Kota in 1999 and later under the Nagar Vikas Parishad, watering plants at Shrinath Puram Park. These experiences ingrained in him a deep belief that there are no shortcuts to success.

Today, that belief defines Mahabali Sports Academy. Coach Ashok Kumar Gautam stands as a living example that discipline, honesty, and sustained hard work can turn adversity into excellence—and that even from modest beginnings, world-class champions can emerge.