It seems like yesterday: Vijender a year after Olympic bronze

While India’s Beijing bang was led by Abhinav Bindra,  Vijender Singh’s bronze was no small achievement. Exactly a year ago, on August 22, 2008, Vijender Singh won the bronze medal, first by any Indian boxer. Since then, it has been an eventful year for the pugilist.

Vijender says it is just like yesterday for him. “It’s amazing, a year has passed since I won the Olympic medal and what a year it has been. I still remember the days in Beijing very clearly,” he remembers. The good-looking boxer admits that winning the medal  was the start of a new life for him. The Khel Ratna awardee feels that it would have been great if he had managed a gold. “I am proud of what I achieved and the fact that it made such a difference to Indian boxing gives me immense happiness.”

All this has not come easy for Vijender. He had failed to qualify for the Beijing event in his first two attempts and a nagging back problem going into the third and final qualifying tournament was adding further to his woes. Vijender’s last shot at Olympic qualification was probably the start of good times for him as he not only qualified but also won the gold medal at the second Asian Qualifiers in Kazakhstan.

He continued his fine form into the President’s Cup. One of his biggest career wins came in the tournament when he beat Athens Olympics gold medalist Bakhteyar Artayev to clinch India’s maiden medal — a bronze — in the tournament. Heading to Beijing then and all that happened there was nothing less than a dream for him.

Vijender’s exploits prompted the world heavy weight champion Evander Holyfield to sit through bouts. Holyfield also came looking for him after his semifinal loss.

“That’s what you live for as a sportsperson... to get acclaimed by such greats,” he said. The strapping six-footer lost to Cuba’s Emilio Correa Bayeux, who is now the world number one. His life changed drastically after that and it’s a change that has left him with mixed feelings.

“Felicitation after felicitation, getting recognized while walking on the streets was a whole new experience for me. It was hectic and tiring but who cares, I worked hard for it. So I am not going to complain,” Vijender said.