The Hindu : Sport : Vijender needs to pass the acid test

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Vijender needs to pass the acid test

Kamesh Srinivasan

BEIJING: There is one gold and a bronze in the Indian camp so far. A third medal had been assured in boxing through Vijender Singh after he entered the semifinals of the middleweight class. Can that medal be better than a bronze?

That is the aspiration in the Indian camp, though the challenge will understandably be more difficult than ever before. The tall Vijender runs into the Cuban, Emilio Correa Bayeaux, whose father Emlio Correa Vaillant had won the welterweight boxing gold in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Growing in stature

The 22-year-old Vijender has improved considerably from the time he had won a bronze medal in the Asian Games in Doha, and the silver in the Asian Championship in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, last year. He has the confidence and the ability to fight on his toes. He is a thinking boxer, who uses his intelligence to tackle the tough opponents rather than depend purely on brawn.

“It was impressive the way Vijender fought in the quarterfinals and confirmed a medal. He used his intelligence. He used the boxing tactics and strategy to the maximum in that bout. This is what is required at the highest level,” said coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu on the eve of the semifinals, that is scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Rather than placing blind faith on his ward, coach Sandhu observed that the Cuban was a good boxer, and Vijender would have to be at his best to pull off a win.

“Well Cuba is better known for its boxers. That will have some pressure on Vijender.

Quite capable

“However, there is no doubt that Vijender is capable of rising to the occasion. If he settles down quickly and implements the strategy, he can call the shots,” said Sandhu.

Stating that the strategy had been drawn after studying the video recording of the opponent, the coach said that the Indian camp was ready for the tough fight.

“In boxing, you never know. You can never say anything for sure.”

Vijender had beaten the ‘best boxer’ of the Athens Games, Bakhtiyar Artayev of Kazakhstan, in the President’s Cup in Chinese Taipei earlier in the season. He has the ability to beat anyone on his day.

Vijender will need to pass the acid test, if India aspires for a silver or gold. The good thing is that nobody is satisfied that a medal has been ensured for the first time in boxing. You always crave for the better medal.

This is Olympics, and Vijender has the chance of a lifetime. The question is whether Vijender can crack the Cuban dominance, and successfully challenge that country’s supremacy in boxing.

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