New Delhi: Before Vijender Singh&rsquo;s bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Indian boxing had Akhil Kumar, with his 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold. Incidentally, Akhil was also Vijender&rsquo;s roommate and mentor in his initial days with the sport.
<img title="Akhil Kumar" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/17-Akhil-Kumar.jpg" alt="Akhil Kumar" /> Akhil Kumar
However, yesterday, while Vijender was busy preparing for his big night at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, Akhil was a few hundred kilometres away at the National Institute of Sport in Patiala down with a cold and cough.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy for Viju. Apna chotu champion hai woh. I would&rsquo;ve loved to be there but I am down with a severe cold,&rdquo; the Deputy Superintendent of Haryana Police told mid-day yesterday.
'Wait and watch' However, while Vijender is raking in the moolah, Akhil had a warning for aspiring young boxers looking to jump onto the professional bandwagon. &ldquo;Professional boxing is new in India and I urge our youngsters to wait and watch before taking the plunge. Currently, there are no restrictions on forming professional bodies and anybody who has money can become a promoter and organise fights. This is a dangerous situation because too many such fights could dilute the quality of the sport.&rdquo; he said.

Before Vijender Singh&rsquo;s bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Indian boxing had Akhil Kumar, with his 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold. Incidentally, Akhil was also Vijender&rsquo;s roommate and mentor in his initial days with the sport.

Youngsters should be careful before going pro: Akhil

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Before Vijender Singh&rsquo;s bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Indian boxing had Akhil Kumar, with his 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold. Incidentally, Akhil was also Vijender&rsquo;s roommate and mentor in his initial days with the sport.

Youngsters should be careful before going pro: Akhil

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Home / Sports / Other Sports / Article / Youngsters should be careful before going pro: Akhil

Youngsters should be careful before going pro: Akhil

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