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Bhiwani raises toast to new star
A star is born. In what's his first senior international competition, 18-year-old Vikas Krishan clinched gold in the 60kg weight category.
A star is born. In what's his first senior international competition, 18-year-old Vikas Krishan clinched gold in the 60kg weight category.
Until the Asian Games, the Bhiwani boxer had competed in 21 junior competitions, including state and national championships. And every time he entered the ring, he left it with a gold medal, barring just two occasions. “He called me before the final bout and said his opponent was last edition’s champion. I told him the Chinese was the past and he was the present, and he would emerge as the new champion," said Vikas's coach Jagdish Singh.
Vikas took to boxing in 2003 after trying his hands at badminton. “Vikas was quite uncomfortable with badminton and felt suffocated. Then I introduced him to boxing," said the proud father Krishan Kumar Yadav, whose phone hasn't stopped ringing after Vikas became the youngest boxer to win gold at the Asian Games. “Vikas was quite upset when he wasn't picked for the Commonwealth Games. I told him he could prove everyone wrong by winning a gold in the Asian Games. I am happy he's done it,” said the proud father.
Vikas was a meritorious student till XII standard, but with boxing taking the priority, he opted for a correspondence course. In 2005, he joined the Army Boys Company and trained at the Army Sports Institute, Pune. In 2007, he came back to Bhiwani. His moving back to Bhiwani left the Army fuming and it wanted him to pay up Rs five lakh which they had spent on his training for two years. Later on, things were settled in favour of Vikas.
