Vijender Singh's Bollywood influence was in full show during the weigh-in on the eve of his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Championship title clash with Australian Kerry Hope at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex
Vijender Singh joins his hand in Sultan-style during the weigh-in ceremony in New Delhi yesterday
New Delhi: Vijender Singh’s Bollywood influence was in full show yesterday during the weigh-in on the eve of his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Championship title clash with Australian Kerry Hope at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, here.
Vijender Singh joins his hand in Sultan-style during the weigh-in ceremony in New Delhi yesterday. Pic/PTI
ADVERTISEMENT
Akshay Kumar’s superhit title track of 'Singh is King' first blared on the loudspeaker as the Indian strolled in to step on the weighing scale. The Bhiwani boxer then weighed in at 75.7 kg, almost a kilogram more than Hope (74.9 kg), smiled and in Sultan-style joined his hands in front of the mediamen. In movie 'Sultan', actor Salman Khan is an ordinary guy, who goes on to become an Olympic and World Champion and in his own inimitable style, joins his hands in humility after beating his opponents.
One of the pillars at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex is covered by a 2010 CWG sticker yesterday. Pic/Ashwin Ferro
Vijender too tried his hand at Bollywood with 'Fuggly' and has openly professed his admiration for Akshay and Salman in the past. The joining hands move surely went well with the press, who cheered for their real-life Sultan.
VIPs galore at ringside today
A host of VIPs are set to descend upon the 5000-capacity Thyagaraj Sports Complex today for the Vijender Singh vs Kerry Hope WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Championship title fight, which is 90 per cent sold out, according to organisers IOS and Queensberry Promotions. Some of the political dignitaries expected are BJP chief Amit Shah, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Congress bigwigs Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Sports Minister Vijay Goel, etc. Among the Bollywood brigade, Irfan Khan, Neha Dhupia, Randeep Hooda and Jimmy Shergil have confirmed their presence. And among sports stars, Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh, Mary Kom, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and Sushil Kumar are all expected to be ringside.
Thyagaraj Stadium still caught in CWG past
The Thyagaraj Sports Complex here, where Vijender Singh will fight Kerry Hope for the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Championship title, was one of the venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and the CWG influence still remains after over half a decade. Most pillars and walls of the Sports Complex have the banners of the 2010 CWG still pasted on them. One of the attendants here said the banners are a cost-saver for the stadium authorities. “If these CWG banners and stickers are removed the walls behind them will need a new paint job and even plaster work in many places. That will escalate costs, so obviously the stadium authorities prefer the old CWG banners stuck all around the venue,” said the staffer.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
