All roads for boxing fans will lead to to the Great India Place Mall in Noida on Saturday. The stage is set for the country’s first ever AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) night, with our own Olympic hopeful Vikas Krishan Yadav promising to bring zing to the ring as he takes on Nickson Akaba of Kenya in an exciting clash.
(L-R) Neeraj Goyat-World Boxing Council Asia Champion, Kenya’s Nickson Abaka,Mr.Rohit Jainendra Jain-Chairman Shail Group, India’s Vikas Yadav and Mr.Jai Singh Shekhawat at the Press Conference of AIBA Pro Boxing
The 2010 Asian Games gold medallist was brimming with confidence on the eve of the bout. “I have been training very hard for this and I am in great shape,” he said at a packed press conference on Friday afternoon.
“I have already fought one APB bout and that experience is going to help me a lot. I am confident of my chances and will give Abaka a tough time tomorrow,” he said, flashing a wicked smile.
The Arjuna Awardee believed that a full house at the Noida Mall would be behind him, giving him the edge.
Abaka, a World Military Games bronze medallist, realised that the odds were stacked against him. “I am not underestimating Vikas’ talent as I have heard of him a lot and of how capable he is in the ring. Vikas has age on his side but I have got experience” the 34-year-old pointed out.
“I am used to this kind of format, of fighting six rounds, and I believe it gives me an upper hand,” he added.
The clash between these two in the middleweight category (74kgs) will be the main attraction of the APB night. But fans can expect to see three other exciting bouts too, all featuring Indian boxers.
Vikas was thankful to the organisers for making the bout happen in such a short time, which gives him a second opportunity to book a berth into the Rio Olympics just in case he fails to make it from the qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan next week. He was especially appreciative of Mr Rohit Jainendra Jain, Chairman of Shail Group, for hosting and sponsoring the APB night.
“A lot has gone into organising this bout and the entire Indian boxing fraternity has its hopes set on me. It does add a lot of pressure on me but that is a good thing as I tend to perform better when I am under pressure,” he said..
The qualifying norms had been recently changed for the Olympic Games, with the doors being opened for professional boxers as well. A boxer, however, has to complete at least two APB fights to be eligible to participate in the qualifying rounds for pro boxers in Venezuela next month. Vikas had fought only one pro boxing fight till now, and desperately needed a second one to have a shot at the pro berth.
Mr Mirko Wolf, MD of AIBA Pro Boxing, was very pleased that the bout was being held in India for the first time and believed that it would be a huge catalyst of change for the sport in the country. “India has great potential in boxing. Your boxers have shown it time and again on the international stage. With the APB coming to India it will only add to the popularity of the game and attract more people to boxing in this country.”
Mirko was eagerly waiting for tomorrow’s bout and was really excited about the mouthwatering clash. “Vikas has great in-ring ability and on his day he can give any boxer a run for his money. As for Nickson, people know him as a warrior. We are up for a great fight tomorrow and hope that the best man wins,” he said..
Mr Rohit Jain, who is also the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association president, however made no bones about who his favourite was. “I have full confidence in Vikas and after seeing him prepare for the bout, I believe it will be very tough to beat him tomorrow. He looks determined and I have a feeling he will win hands down tomorrow.”
He was more than happy to play a role in bringing the APB bout to India and promised many more in the future.