It was on a visit to Bhiwani, back in 2011, that I realised just how big Vijender Singh was in the world of Indian boxing. He had won bronze medals at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships and had, for a while, been number one in the world in the middleweight (75kg) category. He had gone where no Indian male boxer had before.
But some people in the Indian boxing community called him arrogant, others called him a pretty boy who had become enamoured with showbiz and dancing on stage with Shah Rukh Khan, while talk of his new, upper-class lifestyle was rife. But, in Bhiwani, where he had grown up and learnt the ropes, he was the hero he deserved to be, he was the young man whose achievements had made boxing sexy. The Vijender example was driving more and more youngsters – boys and girls – to the training rings, to Jagdish Singh’s Bhiwani Boxing Club, in the hope that they too could be the next big thing in Indian boxing.
Vijender then tore himself away from the world of glamour to get into the best shape possible for the 2012 London Olympics. He did what he could but was stopped one step before he could get himself another medal. It was a disappointment, of course, but he did the rounds anyway, even winning the silver medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. But, by then, at 29 years of age, he had decided that professional boxing is where he wanted to be. Yes, he would turn his back on the Indian contingent to do what he felt he had to do.
That’s where he is now. In Manchester, a six-fight contract with Queensberry Promotions in the bag, two wins – one by a technical knockout and the other by a first-round knockout – from two fights on his CV, and in the middle of a dream.
You have spoken about pro boxing for quite a few years now. When did you feel that the time was right to make the move?
I think it was more a matter of things falling in place earlier this year. I had spoken to people in the UK earlier too, but there were competitions I wanted to be a part of, representing India in the Olympics, the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games… pro boxing was always in the back of my mind, but things worked out this year.
Once that happened, there were no second thoughts?
Well, when I visited Manchester, when I saw the setup, the coaches, the promoters – I spent about fifteen days in July this year – I was sure that I wanted to do it. While I was there, I sparred a bit, I trained a little, I spoke to the people, and I realised I was ready for it. Then there were no doubts. It’s something I have always wanted to do – it’s the real thing. My family supported me, so there was nothing to hold me back.
This is 2015. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics is next year. Didn’t you feel that one more shot at an Olympic medal was worth waiting for?
There’s no end to the number of things that can make you change your mind if you want to change your mind. I had decided that London would be my last shot. I did my best, but I couldn’t win a medal. That was that. I decided I had done what I could. Now people are saying that I should have gone to Rio. Then they will say I should go to the 2020 Olympics. There’s no end to it. I have to do what I think is right.
When Vijender decided to turn pro, there was a fair bit of criticism in the Indian boxing circles, with people questioning his priorities, saying he had turned his back on his country, stopping short of calling him a traitor and a mercenary. Even his family members, who were on his side when he made the decision, had to fend off reporters’ queries with wishy-washy statements, making it seem like they had no idea what he was doing in England.
Have you spoken to any of the people who criticised your decision to move to pro boxing?
I speak to my friends in the boxing community all the time. They are happy with me. They have supported me all along and do so now as well. I met a few of my friends, coaches and boxers, after coming home. They are talking about the attention I am getting now, how there’s a queue of people wanting to meet me and speak to me. It feels good.
Vijender has made a splash in the pro arena in the United Kingdom already, beating Sonny Whiting in his first fight with a technical knockout in the third round, and then knocking Dean Gillen out in the first round in the second fight. It’s all still early days, and Vijender will have to move from his comfort zone of fighting four-rounders to six-eight-ten-round fights as he goes on. It’s a whole new world, with entirely different demands of your body and your skill sets.
How different is it – amateur boxing and pro boxing?
It’s like two different sports, believe me. From the moment I entered the ring to spar the first time, I figured that this was very different. Even the gloves are different. In amateurs, a normal punch wouldn’t hurt. But here every punch hurts. That’s probably why you get more knockouts here than in amateur boxing. If you see the bandage we wrap around our hands – they are different, they are smaller, and tighter. So, the gloves we wear are smaller. It’s not easy to make out the difference on TV, but if you wear them, you can tell. And the way we are trained, we don’t try to score points like we did in amateur boxing; we go for hard punches, to hurt the opponent.
I didn’t really know everything before coming here, but I have been training in England for a while and I’m used to it now. The first day I went for training and saw the gear, I saw the difference and realised that this was going to be tough. And when you get hurt, while fighting, you can tell the difference. You might think I have won two bouts easily, but that’s not true. In fact, the training is tougher than the sparring or the fights. Sometimes we spar for six-eight rounds, even ten rounds. The training goes on for hours. At the beginning, I could barely get back home after my training sessions I was so drained.
Considering all that, didn’t you suffer from self-doubt, feeling like you made a mistake?
Not for a moment. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up, and I have trained well, sparred with good partners... I have been in England for a while now, I have done everything the promoters and trainers wanted me to do. I saw in the stadium that there were a lot of Indian fans – it was like the Olympics. There’s no question of doubt. I am totally confident that I belong here. I am in it to become a champion and that’s what I will try to be.
Two fights, two wins – has it all been a bit too easy in the ring so far?
It’s never easy. If I had lost, everyone would have said they knew I wouldn’t be able to make it. Now it’s looking easy. This is just the beginning. I have a very long way to go. I won’t win all my fights. The main thing for me is to stay away from injuries. I need to remain fit and strong and then I should win. And I need to keep training hard. I was a bit hesitant in my first fight because I was fighting for the first time since the Commonwealth Games. But I have settled down more since then, and was more confident for the second fight.
What do you think gave you an edge over Whiting and Gillen?
They are also new in professional boxing, not too experienced, while I have fought in the amateur circuit for 10-15 years. That experience makes a difference. I have won medals at the Olympics and the World Championships. That is a big thing. Some of the opponents I have beaten in the past are professionals now. You might think that being an amateur boxer is nothing, but the experience of so many years of fighting across the world is a huge advantage.
When you won the bronze medal in Beijing, a lot of youngsters took up boxing seriously. Now, if they want to move to professional boxing, what will your advice to them be?
Simple: If you want to get into pro boxing, you have to really want it. You must realise that there is no going back to amateur boxing. That’s the main thing. You must be absolutely sure of what you are doing. If you want to become a pro boxer, you must be confident. You must prioritise it over everything else.
Vikas Krishan and Shiva Thapa, both in their early twenties, are the only other Indian male boxers to win medals at the World Championships, and are the country’s biggest hopes for the 2016 Olympic Games. Them aside, Manoj Kumar, Devendro Singh, Nanao Singh, Sumit Sangwan and many others have made a name for themselves as boxers who can never be taken lightly. Politicking in the administration back home has pulled these boxers back quite a bit in recent years, but they have done well despite the distractions.
Seven male boxers, including you, had qualified for the London Olympics, but none of you won a medal. What do you think are the chances in Rio?
We will win more than one medal this time – 100%. I won’t take names, because that won’t be fair, but I am very sure we will be among the medal [winners] in Rio. I think about four-five of us will qualify and I know that all of them are capable of winning medals. If things are fine and they get the support and the training they need, they should win.
While none of you won a medal in London, Mary Kom, the only woman to qualify, came back with a bronze. Have you kept track of our women boxers? Where do you think they stand now?
I know all the women boxers who train at the national camps, we used to meet them in Patiala [at the National Institute of Sports]. Sunita, Sarita Devi, Pinki Jangra… Mary Kom is the biggest role model, not just for women, but for us as well. Now everyone knows what sort of struggle she went through to become a boxer. But we knew all that earlier. She is the biggest inspiration for all of us. If she can win an Olympic medal, then others, who have more opportunities, should back themselves to do well also. They should give it their best. If Mary Kom can do it, the others can too. Mary Kom is still fighting, and I think she is still capable of winning another medal.
Shamya Dasgupta is Senior Editor with Wisden India.
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But some people in the Indian boxing community called him arrogant, others called him a pretty boy who had become enamoured with showbiz and dancing on stage with Shah Rukh Khan, while talk of his new, upper-class lifestyle was rife. But, in Bhiwani, where he had grown up and learnt the ropes, he was the hero he deserved to be, he was the young man whose achievements had made boxing sexy. The Vijender example was driving more and more youngsters – boys and girls – to the training rings, to Jagdish Singh’s Bhiwani Boxing Club, in the hope that they too could be the next big thing in Indian boxing.
Vijender then tore himself away from the world of glamour to get into the best shape possible for the 2012 London Olympics. He did what he could but was stopped one step before he could get himself another medal. It was a disappointment, of course, but he did the rounds anyway, even winning the silver medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. But, by then, at 29 years of age, he had decided that professional boxing is where he wanted to be. Yes, he would turn his back on the Indian contingent to do what he felt he had to do.
That’s where he is now. In Manchester, a six-fight contract with Queensberry Promotions in the bag, two wins – one by a technical knockout and the other by a first-round knockout – from two fights on his CV, and in the middle of a dream.
You have spoken about pro boxing for quite a few years now. When did you feel that the time was right to make the move?
I think it was more a matter of things falling in place earlier this year. I had spoken to people in the UK earlier too, but there were competitions I wanted to be a part of, representing India in the Olympics, the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games… pro boxing was always in the back of my mind, but things worked out this year.
Once that happened, there were no second thoughts?
Well, when I visited Manchester, when I saw the setup, the coaches, the promoters – I spent about fifteen days in July this year – I was sure that I wanted to do it. While I was there, I sparred a bit, I trained a little, I spoke to the people, and I realised I was ready for it. Then there were no doubts. It’s something I have always wanted to do – it’s the real thing. My family supported me, so there was nothing to hold me back.
This is 2015. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics is next year. Didn’t you feel that one more shot at an Olympic medal was worth waiting for?
There’s no end to the number of things that can make you change your mind if you want to change your mind. I had decided that London would be my last shot. I did my best, but I couldn’t win a medal. That was that. I decided I had done what I could. Now people are saying that I should have gone to Rio. Then they will say I should go to the 2020 Olympics. There’s no end to it. I have to do what I think is right.
When Vijender decided to turn pro, there was a fair bit of criticism in the Indian boxing circles, with people questioning his priorities, saying he had turned his back on his country, stopping short of calling him a traitor and a mercenary. Even his family members, who were on his side when he made the decision, had to fend off reporters’ queries with wishy-washy statements, making it seem like they had no idea what he was doing in England.
Have you spoken to any of the people who criticised your decision to move to pro boxing?
I speak to my friends in the boxing community all the time. They are happy with me. They have supported me all along and do so now as well. I met a few of my friends, coaches and boxers, after coming home. They are talking about the attention I am getting now, how there’s a queue of people wanting to meet me and speak to me. It feels good.
Vijender has made a splash in the pro arena in the United Kingdom already, beating Sonny Whiting in his first fight with a technical knockout in the third round, and then knocking Dean Gillen out in the first round in the second fight. It’s all still early days, and Vijender will have to move from his comfort zone of fighting four-rounders to six-eight-ten-round fights as he goes on. It’s a whole new world, with entirely different demands of your body and your skill sets.
How different is it – amateur boxing and pro boxing?
It’s like two different sports, believe me. From the moment I entered the ring to spar the first time, I figured that this was very different. Even the gloves are different. In amateurs, a normal punch wouldn’t hurt. But here every punch hurts. That’s probably why you get more knockouts here than in amateur boxing. If you see the bandage we wrap around our hands – they are different, they are smaller, and tighter. So, the gloves we wear are smaller. It’s not easy to make out the difference on TV, but if you wear them, you can tell. And the way we are trained, we don’t try to score points like we did in amateur boxing; we go for hard punches, to hurt the opponent.
I didn’t really know everything before coming here, but I have been training in England for a while and I’m used to it now. The first day I went for training and saw the gear, I saw the difference and realised that this was going to be tough. And when you get hurt, while fighting, you can tell the difference. You might think I have won two bouts easily, but that’s not true. In fact, the training is tougher than the sparring or the fights. Sometimes we spar for six-eight rounds, even ten rounds. The training goes on for hours. At the beginning, I could barely get back home after my training sessions I was so drained.
Considering all that, didn’t you suffer from self-doubt, feeling like you made a mistake?
Not for a moment. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up, and I have trained well, sparred with good partners... I have been in England for a while now, I have done everything the promoters and trainers wanted me to do. I saw in the stadium that there were a lot of Indian fans – it was like the Olympics. There’s no question of doubt. I am totally confident that I belong here. I am in it to become a champion and that’s what I will try to be.
Two fights, two wins – has it all been a bit too easy in the ring so far?
It’s never easy. If I had lost, everyone would have said they knew I wouldn’t be able to make it. Now it’s looking easy. This is just the beginning. I have a very long way to go. I won’t win all my fights. The main thing for me is to stay away from injuries. I need to remain fit and strong and then I should win. And I need to keep training hard. I was a bit hesitant in my first fight because I was fighting for the first time since the Commonwealth Games. But I have settled down more since then, and was more confident for the second fight.
What do you think gave you an edge over Whiting and Gillen?
They are also new in professional boxing, not too experienced, while I have fought in the amateur circuit for 10-15 years. That experience makes a difference. I have won medals at the Olympics and the World Championships. That is a big thing. Some of the opponents I have beaten in the past are professionals now. You might think that being an amateur boxer is nothing, but the experience of so many years of fighting across the world is a huge advantage.
When you won the bronze medal in Beijing, a lot of youngsters took up boxing seriously. Now, if they want to move to professional boxing, what will your advice to them be?
Simple: If you want to get into pro boxing, you have to really want it. You must realise that there is no going back to amateur boxing. That’s the main thing. You must be absolutely sure of what you are doing. If you want to become a pro boxer, you must be confident. You must prioritise it over everything else.
Vikas Krishan and Shiva Thapa, both in their early twenties, are the only other Indian male boxers to win medals at the World Championships, and are the country’s biggest hopes for the 2016 Olympic Games. Them aside, Manoj Kumar, Devendro Singh, Nanao Singh, Sumit Sangwan and many others have made a name for themselves as boxers who can never be taken lightly. Politicking in the administration back home has pulled these boxers back quite a bit in recent years, but they have done well despite the distractions.
Seven male boxers, including you, had qualified for the London Olympics, but none of you won a medal. What do you think are the chances in Rio?
We will win more than one medal this time – 100%. I won’t take names, because that won’t be fair, but I am very sure we will be among the medal [winners] in Rio. I think about four-five of us will qualify and I know that all of them are capable of winning medals. If things are fine and they get the support and the training they need, they should win.
While none of you won a medal in London, Mary Kom, the only woman to qualify, came back with a bronze. Have you kept track of our women boxers? Where do you think they stand now?
I know all the women boxers who train at the national camps, we used to meet them in Patiala [at the National Institute of Sports]. Sunita, Sarita Devi, Pinki Jangra… Mary Kom is the biggest role model, not just for women, but for us as well. Now everyone knows what sort of struggle she went through to become a boxer. But we knew all that earlier. She is the biggest inspiration for all of us. If she can win an Olympic medal, then others, who have more opportunities, should back themselves to do well also. They should give it their best. If Mary Kom can do it, the others can too. Mary Kom is still fighting, and I think she is still capable of winning another medal.
Shamya Dasgupta is Senior Editor with Wisden India.