With a Canadian boxing championship title under his belt, Eric Basran hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympics.

Eric’s mother, Vicky was excited when she learned he made the National team because he has worked very hard and it has been his Olympic dream.

“We would definitely go to support Eric. As parents, we are very proud because the boxing has kept Eric busy in a positive way and has taught him good work ethics and discipline,” she says.

The 18-year-old Surrey boxer is the current Canadian Boxing Champion in the 56-kg category for elite men in Quebec that took place in April.

Basran is a member of Team B.C. who represents the Queensborough Boxing Club. He won matches against Kevin Chauvette of Quebec and Giovan Major of the National Team.

Basran then fought Thomas Bloomenfeld of the National Team and won 2-1. It was the second time Basran faced the former Canadian champion and World Medalist Bloomenfeld. The first time was in 2015. Basran competed in the Ringside World Championships in Kansas City, Missouri where he won by a close margin. Basran had lost to Bloomenfeld at the National Championships earlier that year.

He also learned he made the National Team for Canada’s team. He will be competing in the same category he did in the Canadian National Boxing Championship.

Basran started boxing when he was 11 years old.

Basran thinks that his training in the martial arts prior to learning boxing helped him become a better boxing.

“Participating in some world tournaments has helped me evolve,” he says.

Vicky also feels boxing has helped her son become more focused and disciplined. It has helped him become more conscious of keeping himself physically fit through daily rigorous training and eating a healthy diet.

“We are especially proud of Eric that he has chosen this path as his focus being in the age group he is and being apart of the South Asian community teenagers can get easily influenced now days into making wrong choices, but Eric has chosen to stay on track while juggling school and boxing,” says Vicky.

Earlier this year, Basran won gold at the 2017 Oregon Golden Gloves boxing tournament, but since he was Canadian, he was unable to advance to the national championships in Las Vegas.