Boxing: Vikas Krishan returns home to chase his Olympic dream

After a distinguished amateur boxing career, Vikas Krishan signed a multi-year contract with Top Rank, Inc. In November 2018, who in the past have promoted the likes of Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and more recently Vijender Singh. After signing with the American-based form, Krishan moved to Newark to pursue a career as a pro boxer.

Following two dominating victories in his first two professional bouts, with the second coming at the world’s most famous arena, the Maddison Square Garden, the 27-year-old put the Indian boxing fraternity on notice.

Krishan had done everything right. He had set himself on the right path to success. But rather than preparing for his third bout, Krishan returned to the NIS Hostel in Patiala, where he has spent close to a decade of his life chasing his ultimate goal.

A recipient of the Arjuna Award in 2012, Krishan has achieved almost all there is to achieve in the amateur game. He won gold in the 60 kg category at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, before winning bronze in the 2014 and 2018 editions in Incheon and Jakarta, respectively, in the middleweight category thereby becoming one of the first Indian boxers to win a medal at three straight Asian Games. At the Commonwealth Games in 2018, he added another chapter to his glorious career by winning the gold medal in the middleweight category.

While he has found success at every major boxing match, his performances at the Olympics have been let-downs. He was ousted in the preliminary round at the 2012 Games in London and was beaten by Bektemir Melikuzeiv of Uzbekistan in the Quarter Final in 2018 in Rio. Success has eluded him at the Olympics and before he made the switch to the professional arena, he made sure he was transparent with Top Rank about his desire to compete in Tokyo next year and give it another shot.

“I told Top Rank when I was signing my contract that my focus is on that (Tokyo 2020) and despite missing my pro bout, I cannot miss the Olympics,” he said in an interview recently. Currently nursing his way back from an injury, Krishan intends to participate in the Olympic qualifiers in November. His ultimate aim, however, is to become only the second Indian boxer with an Olympic medal before returning to Newark to continue his journey as a professional boxer.

Krishan believes the past year has helped him grow as a boxer. “I wasn’t this confident before the London and Rio Games. After boxing in the pro circuit, it’s completely different. I can win a medal. It’s much harder in pro where one punch can knock you down however good boxer you are. Like a boxer in pro, you are alone. You have to manage everything and that makes you more dependent and you think a lot,” he said.

With a renewed spirit, a calmer mind and an improved repertoire, Krishan believes he’s better than ever. He put a halt on his, as of now, perfect professional career and returned home to right a wrong. To change how he and the world remember his Olympic career. He’s back home to float like a butterfly behind his dream, and sting his competition like a bee to bring back an Olympic medal and etch his name in history.

Written by: Sportz Interactive