Vijender hits out at detractors

After his success in Beijing Olympics, Vijender Singh was lambasted for shunning boxing completely and for showing more interest in commercial endorsements.

And though he stated it was the back injury that had kept him out, there were lot of negative vibes going around in boxing circles regarding the Olympic bronze medallist’s commitment.

However, eight months after that glorious night in Beijing, Vijender was back in the ring at the European Grand Prix in Czech Republic last week, winning the bronze in the middle weight category.

Vijender feels this bronze medal will go a long way in silencing his critics. “There were suggestions that I would never box again. But I didn’t want to react to such comments. I wanted to shut their mouths with my performance. The tournament in Czech Republic was the first step towards it,” he told DNA.

Next on his agenda is the Asian Boxing Championships to be held in Zhuhai, China from June 5 to 14. “It will be my first big tournament after Beijing. I would like to take it bout by bout instead of predicting that I will win so and so medal,” he remarked. His strategy of playing it safe is understandable as he had a  long layoff.

Also, there is a change in the format of the sport.

 From this year, three rounds of three minutes each have replaced the earlier format of four rounds of four minutes. The points system has also changed with scoring becoming a lot more difficult.

“We will not see boxers scoring 20-25 points in a bout with the new format. It has become a sport of endurance and strength.

“It is more on the lines of professional boxing. Now you have to land heavy punches to get a point. It’s going to be a bloody affair,” he remarked.

Currently attending the national camp in Patiala, Vijender is working hard towards getting rid of any flaws that may have crept in his game during the long injury layoff.