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Hisar boxer aims for World Championship finals
Gagan K. Teja/TNS

"All the boxers in this competition are tough. It is important to respect your opponent but one should not be intimidated. So when I step into the ring on Friday, I will be confident." — Vikas Krishen

Patiala, October 6
Confident but cautious too, teen boxing sensation Haryana lad Vikas Krishan will be aiming to go one better on his senior Vijender Singh by moving beyond the semifinals when he steps into the ring tomorrow as the lone Indian left in fray at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Over the past few years India had emerged as the land of talented boxers. People recongnised Vijender, Akhil and Suranjoy, but in a quieter place, a determined 19-year-old Vikas Krishan (69 kg) was waiting for his moment. And when it came, the boxer from Hisar made the most of it.

Not only did he outshine his peers, he also stormed to the final and booked himself an Olympic berth. And the fact that he did it all at the World Championships, considered to be a level above the Olympics, spoke volumes about his talent.

Born, on February 10, 1992 in Hisar, Vikas took up boxing at the age of 11. Coach Jagdish Singh took Vikas under his tutelage and honed his skills. In 2007, he won his first Gold medal at the National Junior Championship (U-17) and followed it with a Gold and Best Boxer trophy in the 2008 Children of Asia Games.

What stands out in Vikas’ game is that he plans his moves. That in turn makes it easy for him to dictate the bout and his reading of his opponent is so good that he ends up pre-empting their gameplan.

He was helped in a big way by the Mittal Champions Trust, who have been working with various Indian sportsmen. It was due to MCT that Vikas got to train with the best in the world and got early international exposure. Talking about Vikas, Mittal Champions Trust CEO Manisha Malhotra said he was Mittal’s top hope and they would leave no stone unturned in providing him the best of facilities.

Before leaving, Vikas had said, “I want to be the best in the world. I know everyone does and at this level, everyone is equally talented. But I will prove to the world that I also have the determination to go a level higher.”