The administration of the sport itself remained in a state of paralysis but Vijender Singh’s stunning professional plunge and Shiva Thapa’s World Championships medal lifted the gloom to an extent for the rudderless ship called Indian boxing in the year going by. Vijender, the country’s first ever Olympic and World Championships medallist, took the entire Indian boxing fraternity by surprise with his decision to turn professional during, what was called, a training trip to the UK.