It is like football, you can defend but can’t win unless you score: Akhil Kumar

All of us have different style of play. But my style of play and Krishan’s style are completely different. Both the styles have their advantages and disadvantages. With an open guard, if one is down in the round, one can make recovery being over aggressive. Playing with shell guard saves you from punches but one needs to be accurate with whatever few opportunities one gets. But under the new rules, it is important to land clear punches. Playing only defensively will not win you rounds as one has to impress the judges to win the round. It’s like football. You can defend the goal but unless you score, you cannot win. In the 10-point scoring system, Krishan has to prove to the judges that he won the round comprehensively.

Under the new scoring system, the boxer has to win two rounds to be sure of winning the bout. How do you see Krishan winning the two out of the three rounds in Incheon?

Under the 10-point system, you have to prove that you are better than the opponent. Agar apka guard tutega tabhi punch nikalega and apko punch khane se bhi bachna hai. Krishan has to throw punches before his opponent recovers. Krishan has played with the defensive guard throughout his career and it tests   his patience also. And that will be the key for him to win in Incheon. If one sees Krishan’s London Olympics bout, one will see that he landed very few punches in the last round and the American boxer put some clear blows. Rules have changed but a clear punch, be it less in number, will make him win.

Who are his main competitors in Incheon?

In the middle-weight category, Kazakh world champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and boxers from Tajikstan and Uzbekistan apart from Iran will pose tough challenge to Krishan.

You have seen both Vijender and Krishan from the start of their careers. How do you compare the two boxers?

Vijender’s strength is that he throws straight punches from range. Boxers in heavy-weight categories tend to move slowly but Vijender moves his feet very well. Both Vijender and Krishan moved to middle weight from lighter categories and that makes them quicker than their opponents. Krishan is strong mentally. In his final bout at the last Asian Games, Krishan showed his presence of mind and got two points after his Chinese opponent hit him with a low blow. And that proved crucial in the end.