They’re quietly confident ahead of the world championships in Milan, mixing sparring sessions with video games and weekend getaways. From their training base in Patiala, Nitin Sharma writes how Vijender’s Beijing bronze has allowed Indian boxers to jump a lifestyle

Every weekend for the past few months, a couple of cars leave the National Institute of Sports in Patiala to hit the highway to Chandigarh. With Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar driving, the elite group of boxers hang up their gloves for a well-deserved break. They shop, eat out, and generally take it easy at Chandigarh’s hotspots before returning to Patiala in time to start sweating buckets behind closed doors on Monday.

But sometimes, Vijender ditches his boxing buddies to rush to the airport and get on a flight to either Delhi or Mumbai. Advertisement shoots, talk show appearances, chief guest invitations and Page 3 photo-ops have ensured that life for India’s Beijing Olympics hero isn’t just confined to the ring. Vijender isn’t apologetic about his engagements, nor is national coach GS Sandhu, in-charge of the pre-world meet training camp, complaining.

“Whatever I am, I am due to boxing. I know that very well. Entertainment and movies are secondary,” says Vijender. Sandhu is on the same page when he points out: “Vijender has hardly missed a training session. I think boxing needs to connect with the general public and Vijender is exactly doing that.”

Sandhu’s comments are a far cry from the usual utterances of old-school boxing coaches who look down upon all activities away from the sporting arena. The reason behind this is that despite the changing profile of Indian boxers, the good old guru-chela tradition is very much alive in the ring. The other day, for example, when Sandhu’s son met with an accident in Chandigarh, the entire boxing squad — Vijender included — camped all night at the hospital.

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