Vijender Singh: The man who put Indian boxing on the world map

Call him what you may, but you can't ignore the fact that Vijender Singh has played a very important role in empowering India's image as a boxing nation on the global map.In a career that has spanned for a decade-and-a-half, the 30-year-old has seen it all. From winning at the Olympics to clinching World Championships medals to decimating opponents in the pro circuit. The man has seen it all.Here’s a look back at his journey as a boxer and as a man.

#1 Vijender was inspired by his elder brother to take up boxing

Vijender Singh’s family had a big role to play in him becoming a boxer

Vijender Singh was born on the 29th of October 1985 in Kaluwa village, 5km away from Bhiwani in Haryana. Vijender’s father, Mahipal Singh Beniwal is a bus driver by profession and his mother is a homemaker. He also has an elder brother Manoj.

It was Manoj, a former boxer himself, who was the inspiration behind his younger brother taking up the sport and once the former joined the Army in 1998, he played an even more important role, by financially supporting his younger brother’s boxing training.

Vijender also received the backing of his parents, who encouraged him to take the sport as they felt that he had the talent and the passion for boxing.

#2 He was a part time model before taking up boxing

In order to gain more funds for his training, Vijender turned to modelling for a while

Despite getting financial support from his brother for his training, Vijender also did part-time modelling in order to raise more funds before turning to full-time boxing. He first came into the limelight when he won the silver medal at the sub-junior nationals in 1997 before clinching a Gold three years later at the Nationals.

However, the tide began to really flow in 2003, when at the maiden Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, he won the silver medal in a tough final bout to formally announce himself on the world stage.

#3 Wins his first medal for India at a global event

Vijender competed in his maiden Olympics as a 18-year-old in Athens in 2004

As an 18-year-old, Vijender competed in his first Olympics at Athens in 2004, where he participated in the welterweight division and bowed out after losing to Mustafa Karagollu in a tight contest.

In his first Commonwealth Games, two years later, in Melbourne, he bowed out in the semifinal stage of the competition, thereby securing a bronze medal. But perhaps a key decision in his career came when he decided to compete in the 75kg category and he tasted instant success when he won yet another bronze medal, this time at the Asian Games in Doha.

Prior to competing at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Vijender participated in the President’s Cup where in the quarterfinal stage, he beat 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist Bakhtiyar Artayev to send a warning signal to several competitors.

#4 Becomes first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal

Vijender Singh on the podium after winning the bronze medal in Beijing in 2008

Heading into the Olympics, Vijender seemed more confident than ever before and that reflected in his initial victories as he pummeled Badou Jack of Gambia and Angkhan Chomphuphuang of Thailand 13-2 and 13-3 respectively in the middleweight boxing quarterfinals before defeating Carlos Gongora in the quarterfinals to guarantee himself a medal.

In the semifinal bout, however, he lost Emilio Correro to share the bronze medal, there becoming the first Indian boxer to stand on the podium at the Summer Games and thereby create a new benchmark for the upcoming generations.

Following his victory, Vijender had strongly criticised the lack of promotion for the sport in the country and added that despite several attempts from him, seeking government help for starting more academies, it fell to deaf ears.

“Thanks to the media, people have started taking boxing seriously over the past two years. Everyone knows my name now because my achievements have been highlighted. Lekin boxing ka toh kuch promotion hi nahin hota India mein. (But boxing is still not promoted in India!) We don’t have boxing academies, we don’t even have proper boxing rings. I have lost count of the times I have approached the government and the sporting authorities for support, but nothing has happened,”

He backed that win with yet another bronze a year later, this time at the World Amateur Boxing Championships, where he participated in the 75-kg category and later that year climbed to the top of the AIBA World Rankings in the middle-weight category.

#5 First Commonwealth Games medal and the switch to Pro

Vijender Singh with his 2010 Commonwealth Games Gold

After failing to win a medal in the 2006 edition of the Games, Vijender won his maiden Commonwealth Games medal, once again a bronze in front of his home fans in New Delhi, albeit in controversial circumstances after he was given a two-point penalty twice by the referee Michael Summers, that led to his opponent Anthony Ogogo of Great Britain attaining 2 points thereby winning 4-3.

However, he finally got a chance to stand on top of the podium a few months later, when he won the gold at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, beating two-time world champion Abbos Atoev 7:0 in the final.

The new year brought in some more positivity into Vijender's life, personally, as he married Archana Singh in May 2011 in a simple ceremony in Delhi.

Prior to the start of the 2012 London Olympics, he once again criticised the amount of bias shown for cricket and added that even boxing should also get the same kind of support and rewards.

"I still fail to understand why only cricketers are given perks like free land, and so on. Come on, we boxers aren’t that bad either: We’re smart, intelligent and decent looking too! I’m working really hard to make my country proud. I hope someday my turn comes, too,"

#6 Vijender\'s debut in Bollywood and turning pro

Vijender in action against Samet Hyuseinov of Bulgaria

2014 saw Vijender enter Bollywood as he made his debut in a movie, titled ‘Fugly’ that released in June 2014. The same year saw him venture into television as well as he signed to be a judge on MTV Roadies X2.

On the boxing ring, Vijender made a giant leap when in October 2015, he announced that he would be turning professional.

The news created ripples across the Indian boxing scene and commenting on his decision, the 29-year-old told NDTV that this was the right decision for him at this stage of his career, but also gave an indication of another reason that made him take the call, saying that the federation is perhaps not in a stable position at the moment, saying in Hindi, that “Samajdar ko ishaara kaafi hai!” [The smart will understand the reason behind the decision.”]

“I'm excited to turn pro and looking forward to the new chapter of my life. I want to train hard and perform for my country at the global level. My immediate goal will be to work hard and make a good boxing record in the next year or so."

The decision meant that Vijender couldn't now take part at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and it meant India had to find a new genuine contender in his category for the Summer Games.

Vijender's first professional bout happened on October 10th 2015, and he got his career off to a near-perfect start, defeating Sonny Whitting of Great Britain in a TKO at the Manchester Arena. A month later he beat Whitting’s fellow countrymen, Dean Gillen in another knockout, this time in Dublin.

He made it 3-0 recently this month when he beat Samet Hyuseinov of Bulgaria in yet another TKO at the Manchester Arena. Awayb from the ring, He is also a DSP in the Haryana Police.

#7 Further success in pro boxing and maiden WBO title

Vijender Singh after his win on Saturday

He made it 4-0 in his pro boxing career when he beat Alexander Horvath 4-0 and then got the better of Matiouze Royer to make it 5-0.

A month later, Vijender made it 6 out of 6 when he beat Andrzej Soldra in May and on Saturday, he kept his 100% record intact when he defeated Kerry Hope to win the WBO Asia Pacific Championships in front of delirious fans at the Thygaraj Stadium in New Delhi.