Vikas Krishan will square off against Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov in the middleweight (75kg) category of the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) competition at Tashklent on Friday. The 24-year-old Krishan, who is sponsored by the JSW Sports Excellence Program (SEP), will be the first Indian to fight in the prestigious event.
Krishan, a bronze medallist at the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, is trying to win a quota for the Rio Olympics in August.
The Tashkent-event has 20 Olympic quotas across many categories. The middleweight has two quotas, with the top two boxers making cut.
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Ranked sixth in the world in middleweight, Krishan recently won the gold medal at the South Asian Games at Guwahati.
Madrimov (welterweight, 69kg) won the silver medal in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
“Pro boxing is a different ball game altogether. You need to be aggressive, you need to score points and you need to ensure that you stick to your plan. Fighting in the APB will allow me to actually work on certain aspects that I have incorporated into my boxing post the World Championships, and the quality of my opponents will ensure that I do not let my guard down, which will be beneficial for me going into the Asian qualifiers,” Krishan said through a JSW press release.
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The Indian boxer will work with his personal coach Jagdeep Hooda at Tashkent. He is currently training at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) Patiala under Dharmendra Yadav and chief national coach G.S. Sandhu.
After the APB event, Vikas will be able to represent India at the Asian and Oceania qualifiers which are scheduled to be held from March 23 to April 3.
“Over the last couple of months, it has been difficult to find quality sparring partners, and it is important to prepare very well if I have to win a quota for the Rio Olympics. The APB stint will allow me to fight against some challenging opponents, and that will ensure that I test myself thoroughly and iron out any flaws in my technique,” he said.