Vijender Singh: Carrying the hopes of a nation

AFP

In a country teeming with 1.2 billion people - life is a struggle many. You're always looking for a way out, always looking to move up ahead of the pack, always hoping for a better tomorrow.

Some make it. Many don't. Vijender Singh belongs to the former category.
The Haryana native became the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal with bronze in the middleweight category at the 2008 Beijing games. It was the high point in a life that until then had been replete with struggle, hard work and sheer bloody mindedness.
"I always cycled to school from my village. Then I used to get permission from my teacher to go boxing.
"Sometimes the teacher would allow me, sometimes not. Then I used get back on my bike and cycle to the boxing grounds so it would add up to 10-12 kms a day. At training, I would get punched and at times would hit a few of my own. And then I would cycle back home tired," said Vijender - a common enough Indian story that is both a testament to the individual spirit and an indictment of a society that makes life so tough for so many of its members.
"Life is a struggle here. It's a backward society with no industries and the land is barren. We rely heavily on the monsoon season. We have to fill our stomachs somehow and the truth is that through sport, many of us get jobs," said Jagdish Singh, coach of the Bhiwani Boxing Club where Vijender trained during his early boxing years.
It was with that aim of getting a well-paying job that this son of a bus driver embarked on his journey. Little did anyone know that it would culminate in an Olympic medal as well as multiple honours at the Commonwealth and Asian Games. Needless to stay, life has been turned upside down for Vijender - in ways that those around him have found difficult to understand and accept.
"Look, I also find it strange. But I have to accept this reality. It's the way of the world. I have even spoken to him about this. If he earns himself some money then it's ok," said Jagdish.
The new reality is a house in posh Gurgaon, film offers from Bollywood, frequent mingling with the stars and murmurs of a loss of focus - especially after an unexpected loss in the World Championships earlier this year. But the 26-year-old is keeping his chin up.
"You can't stop people from having an opinion. Initially, when fame was a new thing to me, I felt sad but now I'm used to it. I'm working hard and don't really worry about what people say," was his stoic response.
And even when others are voicing discontent, Vijender has family support to fall back on in the form of his wife Archana and brother Manoj.
"Thanks to God, Vijender has it all. Love, money and fame but to maintain all this, he's still working very hard. The entire country hopes that Vijender will win a medal at the 2012 London Olympics," said Manoj.
From a greenhorn at the 2004 Athens Olympics to a medal winner at the 2008 Beijing Games to strong contender in London - it has been an exhilarating story. Now an entire nation hopes for a final triumphant chapter.