Vijender up for another feat

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Vijender Singh

Since his Beijing Olympics feat four years ago, Vijender Singh has become a household name and the poster boy of the sport in the country. The 26-year-old followed the bronze medal in 75 kg category with another bronze medal performance at the 2009 Aiba World Boxing Championship in Milan.

As London 2012 beckons, the Bhiwani-based pugilist looks to add another chapter to his growing reputation and is leaving no stone unturned to his efforts to bring glory to the nation. Excerpts from an interview about his preparations for the quadrennial games.

How is your training for the Olympics going?
I am happy with my preparations so far. We are training hard for London, focusing on various aspects of the game, which include endurance and speed training; it involves a lot of running and sprinting among other things. We are heading for a preparatory training camp in Ireland and later have plans to train in London before the Olympics.

At the Athens Olympics, you were a teenager. What was the experience like and how did you deal with an early exit?
It was really a big deal. I was just a teenager and experiencing the biggest sporting event in the world. I knew very little or nothing about the Olympics. Having qualified was itself a big achievement for me and then being there was quite overwhelming. Although I lost in the opening round, but the fact that I fought well was enough for me to take away from Athens. All in all it was a big learning experience.

How has your journey been since your 2008 bronze?
It has been a big change for me, the sport and outlook towards the sport. It was the first medal in boxing and we really needed something of that sort for the sport. Even my fellow boxers’ approach changed, everyone started to believe and I think belief is what makes all the difference.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games you had to settle for a bronze medal, how big was that semi-final loss for you?
I did not think much about it once the bout was over. Like they say, whatever god does is for the best. And in sports losses are bound to happen.

You are considered to be a counter-attacker. Did you have to adapt your game after Aiba changed the points system in 2011?
The scoring system might have changed but boxing has not. Whether one is aggressive or sticks to counter-attacks, my aim is to score in any way possible. I am looking to gain points be it through hooks, body blows, shoulder attacks or punches to the face. My game is more or less still the same.

How will the draw at the Olympics affect your chances?
This is the Olympics; there is no easy or difficult draw. The cream of the boxing world will be there and every boxer will be looking to go all out. So we
have to be ready to take on anybody.