Vijender, bronze medal winner in Beijing Olympics and the World Championship, has to justify his No 1 ranking in the 75kg category by getting the one that really matters.
It’s time for Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar to fight their demons and take the next big step.
Vijender, bronze medal winner in Beijing Olympics and the World Championship, has to justify his No 1 ranking in the 75kg category by getting the one that really matters. For Akhil, it’s about overcoming a spate of injuries which threatens to overturn his career.
Akhil recovered just in time from a wrist injury before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He aggravated it further in his first-round loss at the 2009 World Championships which subsequently kept him out of action for three months.
Both have a point or two to prove in the Commonwealth Boxing Championship to be held in New Delhi from Friday.
Although Australia and Canada have pulled out, the event will see 140 boxers from 20 countries vie for top honours in 10 categories.
India’s best performance in the event came in 2005 in Glasgow where they won four gold, two silver and three bronze medals and the team championship. Akhil won gold while Vijender clinched silver.
“Whenever I enter the ring, my aim is to win. I’ve won the top prize in many events but luck hasn’t favoured me in major competitions. I hope to break the gold jinx in this championship,” Vijender told DNA from New Delhi.
He acknowledged that “there will be added pressure to perform as my parents will be in Delhi to watch me in action and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
Akhil fondly remembers the 2005 edition where he injured his left hand before the semifinal and to make matters worse, fractured his right wrist with one round still to go in the final. But despite the injury, he beat South Africa’s Bongani Mahalangu 18-17 to win the gold.
“Whenever I’ve been in good form, injury has upset my year. This
is the case since the last few years. I’ve had two surgeries on my right wrist since 2007,” said Akhil.
But he feels he has learnt from experience and has a better understanding of how to take care of his injuries. “This year will be important. Besides this championship, there is CWG and Asian Games and I want to be on top of my game. Earlier I ignored my injuries, my only aim was to go and box in the ring. But I’m wiser now; I know how to take care of my injuries. I hope they will not be a hurdle in my career.”
Contingent: Amandeep Singh (49kg), Suranjoy Singh (52kg), Akhil Kumar (56kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Balwinder Beniwal (64kg), Dilbagh Singh (69kg), Vijender Singh (75kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg), Manpreet Singh (91kg), Paramjit Samota (+91kg)
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