Vijender Singh hints at Commonwealth super middleweight title fight in September

Vijender Singh

Indian boxer Vijender Singh yesterday said his much-awaited fight for the Commonwealth super middleweight title could be held in September after being cancelled earlier this month, but the opponent has not yet been finalised. "Perhaps it will be in September, the Commonwealth committee will decide the opponent," Vijender said at a promotional event here. The 32-year-old, who is now fourth in the latest WBO rankings for the super middleweight category, was to fight for the Commonwealth title on July 13 against Lee Makhram but the fight was cancelled after the British boxer pulled out citing injury.

"Not all the boxers go to the Olympics and the Asian Games. They can come to pro boxing. I am not saying the cream should opt for pro boxing, but those who feel they can do well at pro level should come," Vijender, who holds the WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific titles, said. Busy training but with enough time in hand to catch up on the heroics of Hima Das, the latest sensation to light up Indian sports with her historic 400m gold in the under-20 world championships.

Vijender said the 18-year-old track sensation needs all the help that she can get in her career at this stage. "What a finish, she looks really promising to me. But I have heard that she hails from a very poor family. People are only talking about her show. Instead of the big talks, she should be funded well and looked after well to ensure that she stays focused," said India's first Olympic medallist in boxing.

"She has to keep working hard. It takes a lot to win an Olympic medal. I remember people had written me off as I was the last to qualify for the Beijing Olympics but I kept working hard till I made the cut from Asian qualifiers in Kazakhstan," he added. The versatile boxer, who has dabbled in acting and modelling too, said he has realised that his sport is what makes him truly happy. "I have realised that I don't know anything other than boxing. I have tried my hands in various things like doing a movie, a TV reality show but I get bored very easily," Vijender said.

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