Vijender Kumar becomes youth icon

NEW DELHI: After a successful stint during the Beijing Olympic Games, endorsement has started chasing bronze-medal winner pugilist Vijender Singh as Bajaj Allianz roped him as its youth icon on Thursday.
    
"Vijender's sincerety, dedication and determination has brought him here. We hope he would proceed to the greater heights and will win more medals for his country," Akshay Mehrotra of Bajaj Alliance Life Insurance said.
    
Vijender, who became India's first boxer to win an Olympic medal, said he would try to inspire the youth to similar heights.
    
"Boxing is already a very popular sport in my place. I think, my success would provide good inspiration to the youth of the country," he said.
    
He feels more should be done in the grassroot level to tap the raw talents available in the country.
    
"Yes, it is quite important to work in the grassroot level to upgrade the standard of the game," he said.
    
On the oft-asked question about whether he would like to opt for modelling, he said, "surely I would like to do the thing, but boxing will always be my first love.
    
"Whatever I am today, its for the game and I would like to move up with it always," he added.