Vijender blasted by agent for signing new deal with Percept

Vijender's agent feels ace Indian boxer stabbed him in the back by signing multi-crore deal with percept

Vijender blasted by agent for signing new deal with Percept

Vijender's agent feels ace Indian boxer stabbed him in the back by signing multi-crore deal with percept

Vijender Singh

Boxers don't wield knives, but if management company Infinity Optimal Solutions (IOS) is to be believed, India's Olympic bronze winner Vijender Singh has "stabbed them in the back."

Yesterday, Vijender, who is assured of a bronze medal at the ongoing World Boxing Championships in Milan, inked a multi-crore deal with sport management firm Percept to promote adventure sports.

CEO of the Delhi-based IOS, Neerav Tomar is livid at the news of the deal. "I have been handling Vijender since 2005. He told me then that it was his dream to earn Rs 10,000 a month. I showed him the stars and this is what he does to me today," Tomar told MiD DAY from Milan yesterday.u00a0 According to Tomar, Vijender's contract with IOS is till 2015. "He cannot sign elsewhere and I will take him and Percept to court if needed," said Tomar, a former national level squash player.

"I have stood by Vijender through thick and thin. At least, he should have informed me about this new deal leave alone asking permission to sign. He's not even taking my phone calls. This sounds like the script of Rocky (Hollywood hit) where one fine day a rich business tycoon comes and buys off a successful boxer to utilise him to make money," added Tomar.

Percept joint managing director Shailendra Singh stressed that IOS have nothing to worry about. "We are in no way interfering with IOS's association with Vijender. They can continue to do what they are doing and in fact we are also willing to split the commissions of whatever new deals we bring in for Vijender with them. For us, Vijender is a perfect combination of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Stallone," Singh said.

Percept plan to help Vijender earn a major chunk of Rs six to seven crore from what they draw in the very first year through his presence. Though exact figures are not known, this is nowhere near what IOS have been offering the boxer. Tomar isn't consoled. "Money is not everything. There is something called sincerity that's associated with any sportsman and unfortunately Vijender has failed on this count," he said.

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