Interview with Vijender Singh: "I believe I can fight 11 times in a year"

Vijender Singh prepares to take on Dean Gillen this Saturday

At one point in the past, a boxer gaining the same amount of fame and recognition as the cricketing icons of the country would’ve been unfathomable. While cricket dominated the sporting scene in the country for the major part of three decades, there has been one beacon of light, which has not only captivated the imagination of the audience, but in the process has once again reignited the fans’ interest in boxing.

It was during the 2008 Olympics that a relatively unknown boxer from Haryana brought glory to the entire nation. Vijender Singh defeated Carlos Gongora in the quarterfinals, guaranteeing a medal – India’s first in boxing at the Olympics.

After his exploits at the Olympics, Vijender became a household name, and big things were expected from him. Not only did Vijender manage to deliver on those expectations, carrying the hopes and dreams of a billion people every time he represented the country, he has gone one step ahead and has ventured into a relatively uncharted territory.

Vijender Singh turned professional, and made his debut last month against Sonny Whiting in the United Kingdom, and got past his opponent with ease. Vijender looked comfortable going forward, and executed his plan of pushing his opponent back, and finished the fight with some beautiful combinations.

Now with his debut behind him, Vijender will take on Dean Gillen, who is an undefeated boxer from Nottingham. Before the fight however, I managed to quickly catch up with Vijender, and get his thoughts on his upcoming fight.

Vijender Singh not worried about his defensive guard

One of the major talking points from his debut fight was his defensive guard, which wasn’t perfect. Considering it was his first professional fight, it was something the pundits had expected.

However, Vijender said he was not perturbed by all the talk, and told us that he was working on his defensive technique. He added, “I’ve worked on my defense, as I thought that was the only (aspect of my game) that needed to be worked on. We’ve worked a lot on our defensive technique. I haven’t taken any rest after my previous fight, and I’ve been working hard in the boxing ring. I’ve just been focused on the fight.”

Targeting more number of fights in a year

Considering Vijender fought his first fight just a month ago, we asked him if it was too soon for him to take up the fight with Gillen. “I don’t think this fight is too soon after the first fight, because I think it is fine. I want to take 6, 7 or even 8 fights in a year, and I believe that I can go till 11 fights in a calendar year. The thing is, as long as I’m fit, I want to fight every month”, Vijender replied.

Vijender’s thoughts on Amir Khan

The Indian pugilist has grabbed the attention of not just fans in India, but also caught the eye of British star boxer, Amir Khan. Recently, Amir stated that he was a fan of Vijender’s work, and predicted a bright future for the Indian.

When asked what he thought of Amir’s statement, Vijender said that he was flattered. “I can only say ‘thank you’ to Amir, because he has encouraged me, and he is a great boxer. He’s also getting ready for his next fight, hopefully against Manny Pacquiao. So I want to thank him, and wish him the best.”

Vijender’s decision to turn pro has opened doors for the other amateur boxers in India. With the fact that professional fights bring more fight purse, while opening other avenues for the fighters, a lot of other boxers are now thinking about turning pro.

When asked about who he thought can succeed at the professional level, Vijender said, “I think there are so many boxers who can do well at the professional level, although I cannot give out any particular names. But I do consider that there are many opportunities for the amateur boxers in India.”

Vijender’s message for his fans

Finally, Vijender expressed his gratitude to the fans for sticking with him, and said that the encouragement from the fans has made this journey a little easier for him. “My message would be that I’m very grateful to the fans, and I want to say thank you for all the support. My job is to fight in the ring, and I will give my 100 percent in the ring for the fans. So please tune in for the fight this Saturday on Sony SIX.”

You can catch Vijender Singh’s second professional fight this Saturday (7th November), at 11:00 PM IST live on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD, as Vijender prepares to battle Dean Gillen, live from Dublin, Ireland.