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'I don't understand the new scoring system'
As he gears up to chase his 'London Dreams' with the first Olympic qualifiers next month, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh is not just working hard on his game, he is also trying to figure out an all-new system of scoring that has left him "confused".
The Haryana-boxer, who became the first Indian to clinch an Olympic medal with his bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games, is currently busy preparing for the World Championships next month in Azerbaijan which would be the first qualifying event for the London Olympics next year.
He won a bronze at the previous World Championships, which was also a first for Indian boxing. Apart from analysing the competition that awaits him and the strategy for doing well at the event,
Vijender is also trying to figure out the new scoring system under which, the boxers are shown their points tally at the end of every round instead of live updates that used to be the norm earlier.
"I don't understand this new system of scoring. I like the previous one. This system leaves one confused because a boxer might think that he is ahead only to find out later that he is actually down. You never know where you are and that affects strategy," Vijender said.
'To my mind I am the best'
"I don't think this is the way to build up excitement (as has been stated by the International Boxing Association) because I believe, even by showing live scores, the excitement remains the same. I think the previous system of scoring was better," he said.
The 25-year-old Asian Games gold-medallist, who is a DSP with Haryana Police, will next week head for the World Police Games in New York from August 26 to September 5. This will be his only major competition before next month's World Championships and he is confident of coming out trumps there.
"I never consider my opponents stronger than me unless they prove me wrong. It's a psychological thing. To my mind I am the best and if an opponent can get the better of me on a given day, I respect him for that but I can't be bogged down by the thought of considering someone better than me," Vijender said.
'All my focus is on the London Olympics'
The build-up for the World Championships will be no different from the way he prepares for any competition.
"It's the same, my routine never changes, be it the World Championships or the Nationals. I believe if I can give even 50 per cent of what I give during my training, I am good enough to fetch a medal at the World Championships. The competition would come from the same old powerhouses, I will mainly watch out for the Uzbeks and Kazakhs and hopefully, I will fetch an Olympic berth and a medal to go with it," he said.
"In the end, all that matters is who has a heavier punch. If I deliver it on that day then I win," he added.
The 25-year-old, arguably the biggest name in Indian boxing right now, turned his back on the World Series of Boxing the last time around before the country lost the franchise itself.
The franchise is back with India but the star boxer is still undecided about his participation.
"All my focus is on the London Olympics, let me qualify for that first and then I will see. I haven't yet thought about the WSB," he said.