Vijender Singh
Vijender Singh did what he was expected to do; win a gold medal at the Asian games. He is undoubtedly the ace boxer for India and anything less than gold would have be a disappointment. He also swore to win the gold medal in the Asiad after he was controversially disqualified in the semi-final bout at the Delhi games, well, he kept his promise and made the nation proud.
It was not the best atmosphere before his bout as Santosh Kumar was demolished 1-16 by Kazakh boxer Daniyar Yeleussinov in the 64Kg category. Santosh Kumar’s brave heart was overseen by the impressive scoreline, he was up against a boxer who wanted to finish the bout in the first round with some aggressive punches, but, Santosh didn’t give up and the Kazakh was awarded victory on points.
The nervous and tense atmosphere created by that bout disappeared miraculously when Vijender Kumar stepped onto the ring. He looked confident and his body language indicated that he was destined to win. But, in his opposite corner was Uzbekistan’s Atoev Abbos, one of the most decorated boxers in the 75Kg category with two world championships and an Asian championship in his illustrious career. It was all set, Vijender’s confidence versus Atoev’s experience.
Atoev started as the favorite due to the accolades he had achieved. Young Vijender Singh didn’t show even a glimpse of intimidation on his face and started the match with his usual aggressive style. Vijender used his reach and height to full advantage as he managed to land punches from a safe distance. Also his knack of keeping away from harm’s way helped him to get away from Atoev’s counter attacks. The Uzbek was technically outclassed in the first round and the next two rounds were almost similar.
As the match concluded India had won 14 gold medals, Vijender kept his promise to win gold and Indian boxers had also returned to their best medals tally at the games. After the convincing bout Vijender said, “Defeating the world champion with a 7-0 margin is not easy. But, today was my day. My coach told me not to go by Atoev’s reputation and use my height and reach to advantage.”
The Asian boxing champion has a simple philosophy in mind that he always follows- “The going may always be tough, but, believe in yourself. Be dedicated and focused and never compromise on training.” Simple words but causing great success to the Bhiwani superstar.
Tags: Asian Games, Asian Games 2010, Atoev Abbos, Boxer, Boxing, India, Indian Sports, Sports, Sports India, Uzbekistan, Vijender Singh, World Championships
