For boxer Vikas Krishan, the Olympics in Tokyo and the few months that followed were a true test of his mental toughness.
He was forced to have surgery to repair a ruptured ligament and an injured right shoulder because he had fought with one hand at the time (his other hand was injured). He had to be patient after a successful procedure.
He was desperate to go back into the ring, making the recuperation process a daily struggle. After recovering, the former Asian Games champion travelled to the USA in late 2022 before returning to train under the tutelage of famous boxing coach Jagdish Singh.
Change in boxing style under Jagdish Singh
The journey to the United States was beneficial, but after he got back to India, he had to change the way he boxed.
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"I have been training under Jagdish Singh. I had acquired the habit of professional boxing so under Jagdish (sir), I had to recalibrate and get back to the amateur style of boxing. The next target is to win the Asian Games and qualify for the Olympics," Krishan stated.
Vikas Krishan's dream - winning the elusive Olympics medal
Since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Krishan has been absent from the amateur circuit. He is now back with the Indian team. The one significant achievement that's missing from his impressive resume, at age 31, is the elusive Olympic medal.
Krishan recently participated in the Patiala selection trials for the 2023 Asian Games with that long-term goal in mind. The former World Championships medalist performed admirably in the trials and is now in contention to move a step closer to his goal, which he has so far failed to realise in three attempts (2012, 2016 and 2020).
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Recent tryouts were held at NSNIS, Patiala, to determine which boxers would be accepted for the national coaching camp for the Olympic weight categories (51kg, 57kg, 63.5kg, 71kg, 80kg, 92kg, +92kg).
Krishan competed in the 80kg category and expressed his satisfaction on passing the first obstacle.
"It is satisfying. I was up against some good boxers. It had been quite a long time since I had a competitive fight. I haven't fought since the Olympics. If I had a couple of competitions before the trials, I could have done even better," Krishan noted.
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Krishan and the other participants have a chance to make the team for the forthcoming Asian Games, where Olympic quotas will be offered, by taking part in the national camp, which is anticipated to start on June 16.
The coaching staff will extensively evaluate each boxer throughout the camp and choose a squad based on their performance.