Vijender to partner Percept to promote adventure sports

Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh today became the first Indian boxer to ink a multi-crore deal with a Sports Management firm, signing up with Percept to promote adventure sports.

"We are taking him on board. It is beyond endorsement, which is just a small pie. We want him to partner us in promoting adventure sports," Percept's joint managing director Shailendra Singh said from Mumbai.

Vijender, who ensured India's maiden World Championships medal in Milan by reaching the middle-weight semifinals on Wednesday, may do TV shows as part of the agreement with Percept.

"If Shah Rukh Khan can do ground events, TV shows, Vijender can also do. We will create shows for him. Who knows he could be the next Akshay Kumar of (reality show) Fear Factor. After all, he is the real hero," Singh said.

The details of the deal are, however, not known.

The 23-year-old world number two pugilist has been on a high ever since breaking India's medal jinx in the Beijing Olympics. He collected bronze medals at the European Grand Prix event in Czech Republic in May and the Asian Championships in China the next month.

Outside the ring, the strapping six-footer from Haryana has become the face of Indian boxing. Seeded number one in Milan, he was  conferred the country's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award last month.