'I don't know who will guide me for this entire thing.'
'Right now I am concentrating on my 16 July title fight.'
The International Boxing Association may have allowed professional boxers to compete in the Olympics, but India's biggest pro star Vijender Singh will not be seen in the Rio de Janeiro Games as he hasn't been left with any time or chance to make the cut.
In a landmark decision on Wednesday, the AIBA threw the Olympic doors open for professional boxers after an extraordinary congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move.
The decision has, however, been met with a mixed response with some, like Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, calling it "foolish" and "preposterous" while others like Amir Khan welcoming the step.
In India, the AIBA's decision brought the focus on Olympic medallist Vijender, who turned professional last year.
The 30-year-old, a former amateur world No. 1 in the middleweight, is enjoying an unbeaten run in his pro career. He is scheduled to fight for the WBO Asia title belt on July 16 in Delhi.
"I welcome AIBA's decision of allowing professional boxers to compete in the Rio Olympics. I am yet to receive the formalities for this entire process. Since there is no federation in the country, I don't know who will guide me for this entire thing. Right now I am concentrating on my 16 July title fight to be held in New Delhi," Vijender told PTI, when asked whether he would give Olympic qualification a shot.
His measured response to the world body's decision is not without ground given that the final Olympic qualifier for Indians hoping to make the cut is the AIBA World Qualifiers in Azerbaijan, starting June 16.
The Rio Games start on August 5.
The team for the Azerbaijan event has already been finalised and since Vijender was not a part of the trials, held last month, he is not in the reckoning to make the cut.
The AIBA's move is already being considered a case of too late for the upcoming Olympics and likely to show major results, if any, in the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
