Vijender was drawn to boxing in 1999. His older brother was already boxing, and would sustain injuries, so Vijender would go to see after him. But, “I am a rough and tough person,” he says. And then unexpectedly the next words are: “I see a lot of dreams.”

The son of a Haryana Roadways driver, Vijender says that there was time recently when he was on the verge of giving up on his boxing dreams, when it appeared that he may not qualify for the Olympics. A bronze medal later, he is ready to wager that these Olympics have set for India a possible haul of two-three boxing medals when the competition moves to London in 2012.

For now, it’s time to pretend. A Chinese passerby comes up to Vijender for an autograph after seeing his identity-card. What do you play, he asks. I swim, replies the bronze medalist.