Boxer Vikas Krishan: Asian Championships is best test before Tokyo Olympics

Vikas Krishan. Picture/AFP

India's star professional boxer Vijender Singh once touted fellow Haryanvi Vikas Krishan as the next big thing in Indian boxing.

Vikas has almost lived up to that tag, having won medals at the World Championships (bronze in 2011), Asian Games (gold in 2010, bronze in 2014 and 2018), Commonwealth Games (gold in 2018) and numerous other competitions, except at the all-important stage - the Olympics. He even turned pro (in 2019 and has been undefeated in two fights) just like Vijender but returned to the amateur fold to fulfil his ambition of winning an Olympic medal.

At Tokyo later this year, Vikas (69 kg category) will be the most experienced Indian male boxer in the fray, becoming only the second Indian pugilist after Vijender to qualify for his third Olympic Games. Vikas realises the importance of the occasion and is grateful to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for facilitating Team India's participation at the Asian Championships, beginning in Dubai on May 24.

"I'm happy and thankful to the BFI for ensuring that we are part of the Asian Championships despite the tough and unprecedented Covid-19 situation in India and worldwide. No matter how hard I train, the need to play matches is extremely important. I have been training for more than a year now and sparred with boxers too but playing in a major tournament like the Asian Championships will be the much-desired testing ground for my Olympic preparations," Vikas, 29, told mid-day ahead of the team's departure to the UAE on Friday.

He insisted that he is fully prepared to excel in Dubai. "Whenever I train, I train with the mindset of giving my absolute best and the intensity is the same every time I go for a tournament, so this time it's no different. And the best part is that most of the top boxers are expected to participate in this Championship, so it is a golden opportunity for me to test myself and know where I stand ahead of the Tokyo Games," he added.

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