Boxer Neeraj Goyat: I feel my time has come

Neeraj Goyat (left) has his opponent Sandeep Kumar on the ropes during their bout in Goa recently.

India's professional boxing star Neeraj Goyat, 29, is a staunch believer in destiny and the Almighty. Almost two years after missing out on becoming probably the biggest pro boxer in the country, having bagged a fight against British star Amir Khan, Goyat feels his time has finally arrived.

Goyat convincingly knocked out Sandeep Kumar to win his co-main event bout in the Vijender Singh v Artysh Lopsan under-card in Goa recently. And with Vijender losing to the Russian, thereby ending his 12-0 unbeaten streak, Goyat is now keen to salvage the pride of Indian pro boxing by stepping into the limelight.

"I have been unfortunate on two previous occasions. The first time was in 2019 when I was about to face Amir Khan in a WBC World Championship bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I met with a car accident while travelling back home from training in Haryana and had to miss the fight. Then, the postponed fight was supposed to happen the following year, but the Coronavirus hampered that too. But now, with the pro circuit slowly opening up internationally, I plan to fight abroad and keep up the name of Indian pro boxing which Vijender bhai has done so well till date," Goyat told mid-day over the phone, after an exhausting training session that included swimming across the Yamuna river near his home in Haryana yesterday.

Neeraj Goyat after his win in Goa recently.

According to Goyat's manager Kuldeep Singh, the fight against Khan could have changed the Indian boxer's fortunes. "That was a loss of Rs 2 crore at the least. Had Neeraj fought and won it, he would have earned a lot more. Neeraj is a very promising boxer. He is the only Indian boxer to go to Mexico [a leading hub for pro boxing] and beat their local fighters. He has also beaten China's Can Xu in his own back yard [in 2014]. Today, Xu is a world champion while Neeraj is still looking for that big fight. He has been unlucky so far but now we feel that his time has finally come," said Kuldeep.

Goyat, currently employed as a Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector with the Northern Railways in Ambala, was impressive in his Welterweight knockout win in Goa. Despite being just 5 feet 7.5 inches, his open guard stance was brash and suited his Gangster nickname that has earned him 12 wins, three defeats and two draws in the pro circuit. "In pro boxing, you have to be unpredictable and mix things up. I can fight equally well with the closed guard too. I'm looking to plan a couple of fights abroad this year, depending on the COVID-19 situation. This is like a new phase in my career. I'm sure both destiny and the Almighty will not disappoint me this time," Goyat signed off.