A study in contrast

Recently,when the rest of the Indian boxing contingent chose to train in Ireland to acclimatise themselves for the Games,Vikas stayed back to give his final exams for the BA course he is pursuing. His academic ambitions do not just stop there. A DSP with the Haryana police,Vikas wants to study law at Panjab University,Chandigarh.

This wouldn’t come as a surprise to those who know the pugilist.

His father,Krishan Kumar Yadav,says Vikas as a kid — in hindsight,unlikely for someone who was to become a world-class boxer — would always insist on chess boards or remote-controlled,battery-operated toy cars. “When we moved to Bhiwani from our village Singwan Khas,Vikas was a three-year old. He started reading all the English and Hindi alphabets when he was two. Most of his friends in the village still call him ABC bhaiyya. Even now,when the Olympics is near,he spends time playing chess or putting together remote-control cars. He cannot keep his mind idle,” said Yadav.

Elephantine memory

The feats of memory and fascination with details have served him well in his boxing too. In the boxing circles,Vikas is reputed to have an elephantine memory,remembering the names and styles of each of his opponents distinctly. This attention to detail is what separates him from the rest,according to his long-time junior coach MS Dhaka. “Often,in his junior days,we would travel to Uzbekistan where most of the Uzbek domestic clubs take part in the competitions and more than 200 boxers participate. Boxers like Serik Sapiyev (World Champion) or Taras Shelestyuk (WC silver medalist),in their teens,were also there. He lost to Taras in the World Championships,but when he returned to India,he remembered him from his junior days and discussed his game with me in detail. He is a very keen player of chess and recalls the moves of his opponents as if it were a game of chess,” says coach Dhaka.

Medal boost

His rather unique approach to the game may have proved a success as his quick progress up the ranks show,but for the closet-academician,it was the latter,medals at international stage,that helped him feel like he really belonged among fellow boxers.

“At first,most of us would feel shy even to stand next to Vijender (Singh) or Akhil (Kumar) bhai. Initially,we would hesitate to train along with them at the national camp. But slowly as we kept winning medals,our confidence grew. I still remember that Akhil bhai gave me a pep talk before the World Championship. Medals always boosts our confidence immensely. Now we often train with Viju bhai and sometimes,even share tips with him,” says Vikas with a smile.

Rising status

At the Bhiwani Boxing Club,as a bunch of youngsters get ready for a session of volleyball but coach Jagdish Singh stops the session for a while. “Let Vikas come and then we will start the play,” says the Haryana coach,bestowing on the youngster the kind of privileges reserved for a veteran.

One can say Vikas has earned it,for he is after all the only Indian boxer apart from Vijender to have won won a medal at the World Championship.

The Olympics though will be a different kettle of fish,as Vikas himself acknowledges,calling it a ‘life-changing experience.’

But for the youngster who shifted up weight categories because ‘he could not go hungry and sleep on an empty stomach’,the biggest adversary will not be the one who shares the ring. “The toughest thing for me is to stay away from home. The only thing which I fear is homesickness. Coming to Bhiwani makes me feel relaxed; it reminds me of my early days at Bhiwani Boxing Club. But I hope the next time I return to Bhiwani,I return with an Olympic medal,” he says.