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India boxing ace Vijender Singh has turned professional. It means he is ruled out of next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Vijender, who won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, has signed up with popular British boxing promoter Francis Warren in the UK.
A multi-year promotional agreement with Queensberry Promotions will see him fight a minimum six times in the first year.
- I want to be the Sachin Tendulkar of boxing: Vijender
"I'm excited to turn pro and looking forward to the new chapter of my life. I want to train hard and perform for my country at the global level," read a statement from Vijender.
Arguably one of India’s most successful amateur boxers, he won silver medals at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, bronze at the 2006 Asian Games, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009 World Amateur Championships and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
He bagged the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and was rated as the world’s number one middleweight boxer in 2009.
His bronze medal victory in Beijing was India's first in boxing at the Olympic Games. He is credited for the incredible surge in the sport's popularity in the country.
The 29-year-old from Bhiwani, Haryana, will be based in Manchester, under renowned trainer Lee Beard, who has previously worked with British boxing legend Ricky Hatton.
He will train alongside a top stable of boxers since Beard currently guides WBO International and European light-welterweight champion Jack Catterall and former Commonwealth light-middleweight champion Jamie Cox among others.