Beijing: He is assured of a bronze medal already, but on Friday boxer Vijender Kumar will aim to enter the final of the middleweight (75kg) category to have a shot at gold.
Can he punch his way to the ultimate Olympic glory?
Vijender will face Cuba's Emilio Correa Bayeaux at 1245 hrs IST on Friday in a boxing match that can make India's already good Olympic story better.
After three bouts and and three straight-forward wins, Vijender has been unstoppable in the ring.
He knows a hero's welcome awaits him but he is in no hurry to get back because the mission remains incomplete.
Vijender knows he won't win bronze; he will lose gold or silver if he goes down in his semi-final bout on Friday.
However, a confident Vijender says, "The time has come to fulfill my dream. Now I am in the medal round and I will try my best."
So far Vijender has overcome a Gambian, a Thai and an Ecuadorian boxer but now the challenge gets tougher.
His opponent on Friday comes from one of the world's boxing powerhouses - Cuba.
But the Indian won't be overawed; and they know even the Cubans don't dismiss them any longer as also-rans.
"Yes it's all set and we are all prepared. The boxer is motivated and focussed," chief coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu says.
While India has watched in awe as Vijender and his mates have captured mind space; for the flag-bearers of Indian boxing.
It is the realisation of a long-cherished dream. For years they have toiled hard, faced cynicisms and neglect but now Vijender can change all that.
"Just two more bouts are left. He should go for gold and make our dreams come true," 998 Bangkok Asian Games gold medallist Dingko Singh says.
The Cubans have dominated Olympic boxing for decades but Vijender is riding high on confidence. The medal is in the bag, the pressure is off and he is all set to come out swinging.
He fought Gambia's Badou Jack in the round of 32 and beat him 13:2 to reach the pre-quarters where he faced Angkhan Chomphuphuang of Thailand. Vijender defeated Chomphuphuang quite convincingly 13:3 to enter the quarter-finals.
Vijender defeated Carlos Gongora of Ecuador 9:4 to ensuring himself of at least a bronze medal at Beijing.
Vijender's opponent Emilio was born in Havana on October 12, 1985. The 5 feet 11 inches tall Cuban has had a great year in the run up to the Beijing Olympics.
In Beijing he beat Jarrod Fletcher 17-4 in the first bout then got the better of Sergiy Derevyanchenko of Ukraine 18-4.
A close fight in the quarter-final against Elshod Rasulov has ensured him a semi-final bout against Vijender.
He also won the gold at the Pan-American Championship this year successfully defending his title in Ecuador.
Emilio then went on to win the Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria.
Comments
0 comment