Indian boxer Vijender Singh is hoping that the Asian Olympic Qualifiers will open the door to the London Games this summer.
But the 26-year-old middleweight boxer, who won bronze at the Beijing games four years ago, told the Times of India that he is not intimated by the challenge.
He said, “I have always been under pressure ever since I won the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics. It is nothing new for me. It’s there before I leave for any tournament,”
“There was pressure when I didn’t get a gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. I went on to get a gold medal in the Asian Games but that hasn’t lessened the pressure. All I can say is that I have become mentally better prepared to deal with it since Beijing.”
Singh was also asked about losing in the very first round of the first Olympic Qualifiers in Azerbaijan last year.
“It’s the same situation that I faced before the Beijing Games. I had lost in two attempts and was left with just one chance. At that time, there were just two slots available and I went on to win the gold.
“This time, there are four slots in my category. So, I have a better chance. I just have to make the semi-finals.”
Asked about his chances of winning, the Haryana-born athlete added, “I have to give my 100 per cent in the ring and that I will do, but the rest of it is in God’s hands. So hopefully he will be kind to me,”
The qualifiers will begin on 4th April in Astana, Kazakhstan.
