No New Year's party, Vijender Singh gets prepared for next bout

When most people are looking for a place to party on new year's eve, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh is running around trying to gain access to a decent gym as he gears up for his next professional contest scheduled on February 13 in Liverpool.

On a short break in India, Vijender, who has won all his three pro bouts so far via knockouts, would be flying back to the UK on January 4. "The next fight is on February 13, the opponent is not known yet but I continue to train regularly. Right now I am looking for a gym to do the routine for today. It's New Year's eve so gyms seem to be closed because I guess people want to party. But I will request somebody to let me in for some time," Vijender told PTI after being turned away by a five-star facility near his home in Gurgaon.

"I can't afford to take it easy. I have to be on my toes because my body cannot do without workout. So let people party, I would be in gym working out," he said. The 30-year-old's nascent pro career has been nothing short of sensational with all his wins coming in under three rounds. His first two bouts were meant to be four-round affairs, while the third one was to be a six-round contest. His next bout could be an eight-round fight but India's first Olympic and World Championships medallist prefers to keep things short and sensational.

"Isn't it thrilling? It's like blink and you miss it, it's fun to fight like that. It saves me effort, the longer the bout, more the effort. Who would want to drag things? I give so much in my training that it's good that the actual contest doesn't last long," he said. The former world No.1 in the amateur circuit has so far faced rivals who have been more aggressive with words than their punches.

While one (Sonny Whiting) threatened to batter him, another (Samet Hyuseinov) promised to send him back to India broken and beaten. Eventually all of them needed to be rescued by the referee when faced with Vijender's onslaught in the ring. Asked if it is, at times, disappointing to face opponents who talk big but deliver little, Vijender said, "It's actually great for me that these guys speak so much before the bout and then I thrash them inside the ring. I am always looking to finish things off early, so I am glad I face opponents who talk a lot but eventually come a cropper in the actual fight." Apart from the big wins, another confidence-booster for Vijender has been the feedback that he has got from fellow boxers in the UK.

"The feedback there has been very honest. I get criticised by fellow boxers when they feel that I have gone wrong somewhere. And it has helped me adapt well," he said.