When Vijender Singh, India’s only boxer to win an Olympic medal, defends his WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific title against Ghana’s Ernest Amuzu at Jaipur on December 23, it will be a sort of homecoming for him.
Just like former India skipper MS Dhoni, who spent his early days of struggle checking tickets at the Kharagpur railway station, Vijender too began his career checking tickets as Senior Ticket Collector at Jaipur in 2005.
“Jaipur has a special place in my life. I got my first job here only, with the Railways, and it supported me financially during my initial days in international circuit. So, I always wanted to have one of my professional bouts in Jaipur and finally it is going to happen,” said Vijender, who was last seen in action in August when he defeated China’s top boxer Zulpikar Maimaitiali in Mumbai to claim the WBO Oriental title.