Will be in full time professional boxing post Tokyo Olympics, reveals Vikas Krishan

CHANDIGARH: The quest for an Olympic gold medal has pulled him back towards amateur boxing , but star boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav has revealed that he will completely bid adieu to the format and shift his focus wholly on professional bouts after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.


Acknowledging to the fact that the switch between professional and amateur boxing isn't easy, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said he has not given much thought about amateur boxing post the Tokyo Games, which was deferred by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It is difficult to switch...Amateur is about scoring points while pro boxing is about hurting people. But you have to do some odd things to win gold in the Olympics, you can’t do the same thing as others," said Vikas.

"I am in that kind of state of 'give me a gold (in Olympics) and take my life'. I have not thought after Tokyo (regarding amateur boxing). I will be in full time professional boxing after I win a gold in Tokyo and I want to bring laurels for India for a long time in professional boxing," the 28-year-old said during a webinar to mark the second anniversary of the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS).

Having won both his professional bouts, the Haryana pugilist returned to the amateur circuit in December and sealed his berth for the Tokyo Games. However, on return to the national camp in Patiala, Vikas found himself in a soup along with two other boxers Neeraj Goyat and Satish Kumar for allegedly flouting quarantine protocols.

Let off with a warning, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had allowed them to train at the NIS, Patiala but Vikas and Satish had instead opted to stay at the IIS facility in Bengaluru and train. Vikas, however, has plans of heading back to the pro circuit in the USA, most likely next month.

"My first target of qualifying for the Olympics is fulfilled. Now I am four months into training for professional bouts. I will come back in January and February to prepare for the Olympics," he said of his plans.

"I am training with one of the best coaches in the world. I am up for professional bouts in September and October. After that the coach will find out my mistakes and work on them for the Olympics," he added.

On the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Vikas feels the delay has given him more preparation time. “When the postponement was announced, I was not affected much. I just thought it was a part of life and it happens. I take things in life in a positive way,” he said.

"Last time, I qualified for the Olympics late and I did not have much time to prepare. This time I have one more year to win a gold in the Olympics," the 2018 Asiad bronze medallist signed off.