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Vikas wins, keeps Rio hopes alive
NODIA: As clouds started to gather on Saturday evening, the organisers of the AIBA Pro-Boxing Night had no option but to bring forward the middleweight bout featuring
NODIA: As clouds started to gather on Saturday evening, the organisers of the AIBA Pro-Boxing Night had no option but to bring forward the middleweight bout featuring Vikas Krishan and Kenya’s Kickson Abaka.
Vikas looked upwards in prayer, hoping to stay in the race for the Rio Olympics. The Indian’s wish came true as he won his first pro bout with a 3-0 verdict.
The result opened a window for him to compete at the July 3-8 APB-WSB Olympic qualification tournament in Vargas, Venezuela. Before that, Vikas will fly out on Sunday for the June 16-25 AIBA World Olympic qualification event at Baku, Azerbaijan.
Despite the two opportunities to win an Olympic berth, the road ahead is challenging. “In Vikas’s weight category, there are only five Olympic quota places in Baku, while the topthree boxers will get a chance to compete in Rio via the Venezuela competition. It’s not easy,” said chief national coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu.
Keeping in mind the task, Vikas began the six-round fight on a cautious note as he was nursing an injury on the left eye. After the win, he claimed he didn’t go all out because the target was to win and not knock out his rival.
“The strategy was to keep away from my rival in the opening three rounds and then catch up in the last two,” he said.
