INTERVIEW: Vijender Singh on going pro

Alam Khan - Reporter 08:21 07/01/2016
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  • Star quality: Vijender Singh.

    Holding court at the Gandhi Hall in Manchester, Vijender Singh tries to highlight the art of the jab, combinations and conditioning.

    His audience at the city’s Indian Association are clearly not boxing enthusiasts, but nevertheless interested and intrigued by a man barely known in his current base, but a sporting and movie hero back in their homeland, honoured with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Padma Shri awards. 

    Vijender is India’s boxing pioneer, winning an historic first Olympic medal in the sport for his country with bronze at the 2008 Games and then the same at the World Amateur Boxing Championships a year later.

    “It changed my life,” he recalls of the Beijing showpiece as lucrative commercial and television appearances followed. So too a Bollywood film when he starred in Akshay Kumar’s Fugly last year.

    The 30-year-old middleweight has now been approached to do a movie of his life, just like boxing compatriot Mary Kom – the mother-of-three who won bronze in the flyweight division at the London Olympics.

    But Vijender, friends with screen idol Salman Khan, has embarked on a new journey in England with a professional career as part of the famed Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions stable.

    “I have offers, people saying why don’t you do a movie of your life, but I say this is just the beginning,” he tells Sport360. “I don’t want to just do a movie of my life now and finish. There is still more to do, more to achieve.

    “When I get to 60, 70, that’s a time to make a movie. I came to England for boxing. My focus is on my pro career now and it’s time to grow. It might be too late at 30, but I will give it my best shot. I gave my best years to my country, to my amateur career, went to three Olympics, but this is all for me now.

    “I had to do this. I knew I would regret not trying to turn professional. If I get to 50, 60, I would look back and think why didn’t you do this? It’s a big platform.

    “Maybe I will become No1, or maybe I will go out with nothing, but at least I will have no regrets. I believe if you are good in your work, everything will follow. Performance matters for me. I don’t fight for awards.”

    Three fights and three wins in three months, including December’s impressive second-round stoppage of Bulgarian Samet Hyuseinov on the Andy Lee-Billy Joe Saunders title bill in Manchester, offers hope of more success.

    Trainer Lee Beard, who has worked with former world champion Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Snr, admires Vijender’s attitude and desire. He likens his style to that of Mexican former multi-weight world champion Erik Morales and adds: “Vijender’s progressing at a rapid rate and is tailor-made for the professional game. Look at the win over Hyuseinov.

    “He ticks most of the boxes and, with the right training and preparation, I feel he could win a world title in 12-18 months. Everything depends on him. He’s very strong and the bigger the test, the better he will perform.”

    But Vijender will not get over-excited, nor over-confident.

    “I don’t believe in fairy tales, I’m realistic and I’m quiet,” he says. “I come from a small village, Kaluwas, in the Bhiwani district, and am proud to be a villager. My father worked as a bus driver and my mother was a housewife.

    “You have to stay humble and just do your best. You can have dreams, but don’t float on air, and don’t forget your roots. Salman always told me when I was in Mumbai, when I got the name and fame in 2008, he said never go for the parties and just do your work and go back home and sleep.

    “It’s a crazy place and he said just do your shoot and go home and train hard. Whenever I go to those parties I have seen what it’s like and you have to stay focused on what you want to achieve. Of course I would love to fight for a world title, but I go step-by-step. This is one last shot, 100 per cent. Every fight is a final fight for me.”

    One of Vijender’s biggest fights, though, came out of the ring in 2013 when he was caught up in a drugs scandal. The drama began when his name cropped up after Punjab police recovered heroin, worth around Rs.130 million (Dh7.1m), from NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon’s house in Zirakpur.

    A car registered in the name of Vijender’s wife Archana was also recovered near the house and it was alleged that he had bought the drug for personal consumption on 12 different occasions from Kahlon. Sparring partner Ram Singh was also arrested and accused.

    Vijender denied the claims and, following a request by the Indian Sports Ministry, he underwent a National Anti-Doping Agency test. The blood and urine samples proved negative and there was undoubted relief when he was cleared.

    “You know, it happens, it’s part of life,” he says of the experience in hushed tones. “It taught me a lot, especially to be careful and don’t trust so many people.

    “There are lots of people jealous and need attention and publicity. People knew me in India and they were happy to get on the camera, get pictures. It was like we are targeting Vijender Singh, but that’s fine.

    “During that time, for one month, I switched off the TV, switched off my phone and ate and slept, that’s it. I tried to ignore all what was happening. I knew 100 per cent I’m innocent and everything will be OK.”

    The ring is where Vijender finds solace. Through his amateur exploits, he has a position as a deputy superintendent with the Haryana Police department, but “I don’t go out and chase criminals”.

    “This is what I enjoy the most, training, boxing,” he says. “You are scared sometimes, but sometimes that is good for performance.

    “Fear helps you in the ring, pushes you to deliver. In India, everyone likes cricket and football and other team sports, but I love individual sports. In the ring you are on your own. If you are not fighting good, it’s on you. I think that’s why I chose boxing.”

    Vijender will return for a planned fight on February 13 in Liverpool. With Commonwealth and Asian titles the target in 2016, a bout in India and the UAE is on the cards.

    “Maybe we will get a fight in Mumbai or Delhi,” he reveals. “But Dubai is also on the list, for an Asian title. I have been many times and there is a large Asian community in Dubai. I have friends there who have five-star hotels and malls. Maybe we could hold a show at a hotel.”

    And the Bhiwani bruiser will aim to show he can be a box-office hit, even without Bollywood.

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