He might be a pin-up boy for boxing with his modelling and filmi assignments, but Vijender Singh has come up the hard way — his dad Mahipal Singh Beniwal, was a bus driver with the Haryana Roadways and his mother a homemaker. His father drove buses overtime to pay for Vijender and his brother Manoj’s education. “In the village where I come from (Kaluwas), people mainly take up sports so that they can have a chance at a livelihood — join the army and such. In my growing up years, boxer Raj Kumar Sangwan won the Arjuna Award and that really increased the craze towards boxing. Though initially I was into boxing to earn my living, slowly it became my passion and career,” says the 28-year-old.
Practising at Bhiwani Boxing Club, Vijender was recognised by former national-level boxer Jagdish Singh, who pushed him to become a professional boxer and became his coach as well, besides Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu (in the later years). Vijender started training in 1998-99. Manoj gained an entry into the Army and helped support Vijender. “I owe everything to my family. They weren’t rattled that I wasn’t going to complete my education. They knew I was a responsible kid and let me carry on with what I liked,” he says. Their conviction didn’t end in disappointment as Vijender’s first recognition came when won a State-level competition. During this time, he was also into modelling to support his professional career and also his family. Soon winning became a habit he wasn’t tired of — a silver medal in his first sub-junior Nationals in 1997, his first gold medal was at the 2000 Nationals , a silver in the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, which he considers as a turning point, “Despite being a junior, I aced the selection trail and was picked to represent the country.”
Speaking about his influences, he says, “My boxing style, hooks and uppercut can be comparable to Sylvester Stallone’s character in Rocky I to V. He and others like Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and Don King have hugely inspired me.” Among film stars, he enjoys the company of Akshay Kumar who’s producing Vijender’s maiden venture Fugly to be released on June 13. He says he was very comfortable in front of the camera.
Meeting Amitabh Bachchan after the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic victory where he defeated Carlos Góngora in the quarterfinals to secure a bronze medal — the first-ever Olympic medal for an Indian boxer, also ranks high on his feel-good moments. His other victories include bronze at 2006 Commonwealth Games, bronze at 2006 Asian Games, another bronze at 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships and one more at 2010 Commonwealth Games. For his achievements, Vijender was bestowed with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and the Padma Shri, which incidentally he didn’t win the first time he was nominated. While he is gratified for the awards he has got, “I don’t go crazy thinking about them.”
As with any other sportsperson, Vijender has had his share of controversies. During the 2012 Summer Olympics, it surfaced that he might have consumed drugs. Though Vijender hasn’t been found guilty, the Sports Ministry has directed the National Anti-Doping Agency to conduct tests on the middleweight boxer. “I haven’t done anything wrong, these allegations are baseless. In a democratic nation, anyone will say anything. When you ignore things, everything becomes quiet and sorted,” he says emphatically. Vijender is a Deputy Superintendent of Police with the Haryana force and earns `14,000 from this appointment.
Breaking many hearts, Vijender tied the knot with Archana Singh in 2011. They are now the proud parents of eight-month-old Abir Singh. This is the first time Vijender has declared the name of his baby boy to the press. “Abir has brought a lot of change in our lives. I am a hands-on father and absolutely loving my time playing with him. His smile has made me forget everything in the world including the drug controversy, which dogs me everywhere I go,” he says.
Constantly speaking out about the bias shown towards other sports than cricket in India, Vijender has received flak for trying to bring boxing into the limelight through modelling and other glittery events. Personifying the Punjabi spirit, he says, “It’s my life and I don’t care about what people say. They say I am lured because of the money. So be it. When did money become a dirty word?” he retorts.
His advice for budding boxers or any sportsperson is to “believe in yourself. Do not let financial insecurities perturb you; give your 100 per cent, believe in almighty and he will ensure that he charts a rosy picture for you.” Other qualities he endorses includes discipline, physical and mental endurance.
— shilpa.vasudevan@newindianexpress.com