National
My main strength is power packed punches: Boxer Vijender Singh
Seven years after winning the historic middleweight bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, ace boxer Vijender Singh turned professional in 2015. Since then the poster boy of Indian boxing has fought — and won — 12 professional bouts. His next bout is against Russian Artysh Lopsan on March 19 in Goa.
The last pro bout of Vijender, 35, was in November 2019. But before that he had taken a plunge in politics. He contested – and lost – for the South Delhi Parliamentary seat on a Congress party ticket. But even at the time he had insisted that he would never leave boxing. Then, Covid-19 pandemic stopped all sporting activities in almost the entire last year; it also shrunk resources, says Vijender.
In 2015, when Vijender — a 2009 World Championships bronze winner and 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games gold medallist — signed a deal with a London based professional boxing firm, he had the luxury of having a team of experts to chalk out his plans, ranging from his training to his diet. But he could not get his support team to India due to the pandemic situation in England.
And since neither Vijender could go overseas for training, he has largely been dependent on a talented pool of boxers from Haryana as his sparring partners. He even engaged his long-standing friend and training partner, Jai Bhagwan, a two-time Asian Championships medallist and the 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze winner, as coach.
Excerpts from the exclusive interview:
Q: How have you been training for the March 19 bout?
A: It is an eight-round bout. So, I trained for 10 rounds in one session. Moreover, we changed sparring partners after two or three rounds to have a fresh opponent that could test my skills.
Q: You said there is some injury problem. Could you elaborate?
A: I hurt my nose during training. Initially it was bad. Now it’s better.
Q: You have just one week to go for big match. Is the injury a worrying factor?
A: No. I’m doing icing. It should be fine.
Q: Your opponent (Artysh Lopsan) is taller than you at 6-foot-four-inch. You are six-foot tall. How do you plan to tackle him?
A: I did sparring sessions with boxers taller than me to build up muscle memory. One of them was a Youth Asian medal winner from Jhajjar in Haryana. He wasn’t as strong as senior the athlete, but technically it helps to learn how to stay out of the reach of your rival, and go inside to score.
Q: Any advantage you have over your rival from Russia?
A: I guess I’m more experienced than him. I have played 12 bouts and trained in America and England. My last bout was in Dubai (November 2019). All that will play a vital role in winning.
Q: What will be your main strategy against Lopsan?
A: I don’t want to reveal the details. In the first round, I will be able to observe him and then I will plan for the remaining seven rounds.
Q: What is your main strength?
A: I believe in power packed punches. Endurance is the other weapon I rely on. I like to stay calm even if my opponent is aggressive.
Q: What was the reason for engaging Jai Bhagwan as your coach/trainer?
A: He was the best choice under the given circumstances. We know each other and he knows how to push me beyond the limits.
Q: Since your training sessions were quite strenuous, did you follow any specific diet plan?
A: As an athlete, I have good eating habits. I stick to it. But when I was training in England in 2015, there were a lot of emphasis on nutrition.
Q: How challenging has it been to stay fit in times of the pandemic?
A: It was a different kind of experience to cope with. I have learned a lot to do with limited resources. There were issues of niggling injuries in the build up to the main event. All I can say is it was an uphill task to get back into top fitness.
Q: During lockdown it was difficult to train. Did you put on weight?
A: Not much. I’m close to 79kg. I should be able to reduce at least three kilograms in the coming week.
Q: For some time you have been seen in different roles. Like supporting farmers’ agitation and training at the same time?
A: Whatever I do I do with my heart. I try to go all out.
Q: What have you learnt for the farmer’s agitation?
A: Every day is a new learning experience. I’ve desire to learn more.
Q: What about your plans of setting up a boxing academy in Haryana?
A: The plans are still there but I haven’t got the land from the government.
Q: Could you share your experience on the professional circuit?
A: It is very simple. You have to be super strong to survive in the pro circuit.
National
ICC World Cup 2023: BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Presents ‘Golden Ticket’ To Bollywood Legend Amitabh Bachchan
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday presented a Golden Ticket to Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
Amitabh Bachchan is a huge fan of Indian cricket and can now watch all the matches from the VIP stands for free, along with other luxuries that comes with the golden ticket.
“Golden ticket for our golden icons!
“BCCI Honorary Secretary @JayShah had the privilege of presenting our golden ticket to none other than the “Superstar of the Millennium,” Shri @SrBachchan.
“A legendary actor and a devoted cricket enthusiast, Shri Bachchan’s unwavering support for #TeamIndia continues to inspire us all.
“We’re thrilled to have him join us for the @ICC @CricketWorldCup 2023,” the BCCI posted on X.
India’s World Cup Squad Announced
Meanwhile, the Indian squad for the ODI World Cup was announced by captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Kandy on Tuesday.
The BCCI selectors has named a strong 15-man squad for the showpiece event in India starting October 5.
The team will be led by Rohit Sharma with all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain.
India squad for ICC World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubhman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.
The Opposition has granted BJP a controversy on the platter with Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, asserting that Sanatan Dharma is against the notion of social justice and must be “eradicated”. Stretching the analogy further, he likened the creed to diseases like dengue and malaria, inviting sharp criticism from BJP leaders. Latching onto the statement, which could be godsend for the BJP just when elections in the Hindi heartland are around the corner, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was an attack ‘‘on our heritage” and shows that the Opposition bloc “hates Hinduism.”
Shah digs onto remark in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh
Addressing a public meeting in Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur on Sunday, Shah asked the crowd if people were ready to accept Udhayanidhi’s remarks on eradicating the Sanatan Dharma. These people have insulted ‘Sanatan Dharma’ and are talking about finishing it off for appeasement and vote bank politics, the BJP leader said. (Shah’s statement resonated in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh)
“Is this the political strategy that the INDIA alliance drew up two days ago in Mumbai?” Shah was here to flag off the second Parivartan Yatra of Rajasthan BJP that will cover 52 assembly constituencies of Udaipur and Kota divisions in the next 19 days. Widening the ambit of his attack, Shah recalled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 2010 remark in which he had likened radical Hindu outfits to terrorist organizations and said that they were a bigger threat than Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“They also say there will be Sanatan rule if Modi wins”
Shah also alluded to former Home Minister and Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde’s remark that the BJP and the RSS were fanning ‘Hindu terrorism,’’ to suggest that these comments were not off the cuff but were part of a well-thought out political gambit. Coming back to Sanatan Dharma, Shah insisted it rules the hearts of people. “They also say there will be Sanatan rule if Modi wins,’’ he added, even as he clarified that PM Modi has underlined that India will be run as per the Constitution.
Accusing the Congress of blocking the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Union Home Minister said, “The grand Ram temple will be ready in January at Lord Ram’s birthplace. INDIA alliance cannot stop it. Congress had blocked it for years.” Shah recounted the incidents of communal violence during the last five years in Rajasthan and accused the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government of making the state hostage to vote bank politics.
He attacked Gehlot and said ‘‘he is scared of a ‘Lal Diary’ which has the details of his government’s corruption and black deeds.’’ The BJP is taking out four pre-poll Parivartan Yatras from four prominent religious places in the state. The first of these Yatras was flagged off by BJP president JP Nadda from Trinetra Ganesh Temple in Sawai Madhopur on Saturday, and the second by Shah on Sunday, while the remaining two yatras will start in the next two days from Ramdevra and Gogamedi temples
National
‘Superman Of Punjab’ Kuwar Amritbir Singh Breaks Bruce Lee’s Guinness Record For Most Push-Ups On Fingers
Punjab-based fitness enthusiast Kunwar Amritbir Singh has set another world record by doing the most number of push-ups on fingers in a minute, breaking Bruce Lee’s record in the process.
21-year-old Amritbir Singh set a new Guinness World Record by doing 86 push-ups on finger tips while carrying a 20lb pack. Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee had managed 80 push-ups.
“The journey to make my 2nd Record in Guinness Book of World records was started on 9th February, 2023. & I have practiced for just 25 days to Attempt this Record & it wasn’t tough for me to break this record ‘ Yesss !!
“Because it’s a common thing for everyone that we have to work hard if we want to achieve our goals so working hard is not much tougher than the
“Patience, which we should have when we are done with our work!!” Singh posted on Instagram.
But this is not his first Guinness Record as he had achieved another remarkable feat last year when he did 45 push-ups with claps (finger tips) in a minute.
Who is Kuwar Amritbir Singh?
Also known as the Super of Punjab, Amritbir Singh has never been to the gym or hasn’t had any formal training in the body-building.
Amritbir Singh is a student of Khalsa College in Amritsar and trains at home with the help of basic equipments.
Amritbir Singh is also a motivational speaker and a social media influencer. He started his fitness journey at the age of 17 and believes in natural training without any protein supplements.
He even uses basic techniques to train. “I used bricks, sand bags, plastic bags with cement etc as equipment to carry out my fitness regimen,” says Amritbir.
He has over 238,000 followers on Instagram and has his own YouTube channel where he teaches workout techniques without the use of expensive gym equipment.
List of Guinness World Records held by Amritbir Singh
Most push-ups on finger tips with a 20lb pack in a minute – 86
Most push-ups with claps (finger tips) in a minute – 45
Most knuckle push-ups in a minute – 118
Most superman push-ups in 30 seconds – 35
Countless push-up in a minute
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