To make up his mind for the professional plunge was no big task but to be in perfect shape for the grind, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh is toiling 8 to 10 hours a day as he gears up for his much-awaited debut bout on October 10 in Manchester.
“It’s like going to an office except that it happens to be a gym in my case,” Vijender told PTI over <g data-gr-id="21">phone</g> from Manchester, detailing his training regimen for the eagerly-anticipated contest, <g data-gr-id="22">which .</g> “The day in the gym starts at 10-10:<g data-gr-id="19">30am</g>, there is a lunch break around <g data-gr-id="20">1pm</g> and then back to the gym for an evening session,” the 29-year-old said.
His voice slightly groggy owing to the cold he has caught, Vijender said a typical training day includes workout sessions, sparring sessions with different partners and rigorous swimming. “By the time I am done, I just crash. It is gruelling but I am enjoying the grind. My body hasn’t felt better,” said India’s first Olympics and World Championships medallist. “How does it matter? In amateur boxing I used to know my opponent either a day before the bout or on the morning of the bout. Here, I hope to know who it is at least a week before the bout. That’s enough time because ultimately, it’s not about the opponent, it’s about me, how I cope with the challenge. I prefer to focus on myself,” he said confidently.