Shiva Thapa is an Indian amateur boxer from Assam who has represented India at the Olympic Games and at multiple editions of the Asian Championships, AIBA World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. He is among the most decorated Indian male boxers in continental competition, particularly in the bantamweight division. Thapa first came to national attention as a teenager, becoming the youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympic Games at the time of his 2012 London debut.
| Full name | Shiva Thapa |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 December 1993 |
| Place of birth | Guwahati, Assam, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Sport | Amateur boxing |
| Weight class | Bantamweight (56 kg) / Lightweight (60 kg) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Olympic debut | 2012 London Olympics |
| Major honour | Arjuna Award (2020) |
Thapa was born and brought up in Guwahati in a family of Nepali origin with a strong boxing tradition. His father, Padam Thapa, a martial arts instructor, introduced him and his brothers to the sport at an early age. He trained at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) regional centre in Guwahati during his formative years before progressing to the national camp. Thapa studied at Don Bosco School in Guwahati.
Thapa rose through the age-group ranks rapidly. He won a silver medal at the 2010 Youth World Boxing Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the 54 kg category, becoming one of the most promising youth boxers from India.
At 18, Thapa qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London through the Asian qualification route, becoming the youngest Indian boxer ever to feature at the Olympics. He competed in the bantamweight (56 kg) division but was eliminated in the opening round.
Thapa has won multiple medals at the AIBA Asian Boxing Championships, an unmatched run by an Indian male boxer at this competition. His haul includes:
At the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships held in Doha, Thapa won a bronze medal in the bantamweight category, becoming only the third Indian male boxer to medal at the World Championships at that time.
Thapa represented India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in the lightweight (60 kg) category. He has also competed at the Asian Games and won medals across various international invitational tournaments, including events on the AIBA circuit.
Shiva Thapa is regarded as a pioneer of competitive boxing from the North East, a region that has since produced several international boxers. His sustained presence at the senior international level over more than a decade, combined with his record at the Asian Championships, has made him a benchmark for male amateur boxers in India in the lower weight categories.