Vijender Singh ready to dazzle in Dublin

A pro debut that lasted eight minutes saw Vijender defeat Sonny Whiting by a TKO. And now — speaking to this newspaper from Manchester on Wednesday — Vijender says he’s ready for the tough-as-nails Gillen, who holds a 2-0 record after he turned pro in May.

“I’ve spoken to my trainer about him. There are three days left for the bout and I’m ready. He’s a hard man. Whatever I need to do, I’ll do it inside the ring,” Vijender added. =“He’s a fireman from Nottingham, and I’m a Haryanvi policeman, so this bout should be interesting,” was Vijender’s impish quip on the bout.

British pugilist Amir Khan, during a visit to India a couple of days ago, was full of praise for Vijender, expecting him to become India’s first professional world boxing champion. Vijender who heard it first from this newspaper, was humbled.

“Amir is such a nice guy. He’s so experienced as a pro boxer. I’m really happy he said such nice things about me. He’s an inspiration for boxers like me. Much like me, he started off as an amateur, won an Olympic medal and then turned pro very successfully. I hope to emulate that. I want to become world champion,” Vijender stated.

That dream, in fact, is at the heart of why he turned pro. “There are no boxing stars from India. I primarily turned pro to set an example for youngsters.” “I am constantly homesick,” adds Vijender, but constant support that pours in through texts, calls and online keeps him motivated. “Singh is King! With everyone’s support, I will knock Gillen out.” Tough words from a tough guy.