I loved reading about Vijendra Singh - the boxer who became popular after winning an Olympic medal this year. Here is very good write up on his life done by INDRANI RAJKHOWA BANERJEE from Times of India. Here we go!A rugged village boy who rubs shoulders with the swish set and flirts with Bipasha Basu, Olympiad boxer Vijender Singh is aware he is an outsider. He is proud of his rustic roots and fights prejudices with charming confidence and a quiet dignity.
First things first. What do you look forward to when you set out to interview a hot-blooded Jat boxer? You would expect him to look you over and size you up mentally or probably greet you with a few colourful expletives... especially when the guy is a 24-year-old basking in newfound glory. But this one is different. He throws a disarming smile as his eyes meet your eyes and stay right there! That’s Vijender Singh Beniwal for you, India’s lone boxer to have won an Olympic medal.
He cannot speak English, and makes no bones about it. Can we talk in Hindi?, he asks coolly as we settle down with meethi chai in an air-conditioned hostel room, which he shares with fellow boxers Vijay and Ram Singh at Patiala’s National Sports Institute. Why stay in a hostel, now? “As a child I shared a room with my brother and five cousins. We were seven in a tiny room, and now we are just three!” Uncluttered and uncomplicated. Maybe, that’s what makes him a darling of the press. Or is it his rakish, rugged charm? “don’t know. People say I am more popular than Abhinav Bindra. It’s destiny that I was born into a humble bus driver’s family. Had I been pampered with trainers and dieticians, I wouldn’t be what I am today. I am an athlete of the soil, fed on a solid diet of bajre ki roti and bhains ka doodh . “ Vijender’s roots are rock solid.
His father still works for Haryana Roadways as a bus driver. “I’ve told him to take it easy, now that we have the money. But he says the day he stops working he’ll stop living. I remember when my father used to farm a small piece of land. I helped him by watering the crops. Those were memorable days. Tilling the soil with bare hands is joy in its purest form. I think that’s why farmers have a quiet dignity about them. “ This boy from a nondescript UP village called Kaluwas, along the Meham-Bhiwani road, hadn’t seen much of life or money till destiny catapulted him to overnight stardom. Today, his days are full. He jet-sets to Delhi and Mumbai every week for photo ops, endorsement deals and P3 parties, where he rubs shoulders with Bollywood stars and society babes. This six-feet-tall charmer has also walked the ramp for Rohit Bal.
He no longer has as much time to visit his folks as he would like, but he’s built them a house with all the modern trappings, including a generator that runs the desert coolers. He has set up a small-time property business for his brother, who was a havaldar in the Army. “It’s a solace that at least one of us is with my parents, “he says. There was a time when Vijender would pedal a few miles on a bicycle to watch his favourite heroines’ on TV. Today, he’s on TV with them! Other than conquering the boxing ring (he’s won another bronze in the Asian Championship in China), he’s making headlines for other conquests.
How does it feel to be linked with Bipasha Basu or to be on a show with Mallika Sherawat? “They are nice girls. People find them ‘hot’ because that’s what they are supposed to be. Their dedication to the body can only be matched by a sportsperson. I found Mallika a sensible, no-nonsense Jat girl. “ Would he like to take either of them home to mum? "I’m shy when it comes to girls. I get hot under the collar when women at parties comment on my toned body. There are times when I can sense them eyeing me lustfully, but my body is my temple. I worship it.
“ He schmoozes around with the swish cocktail set and with the same ease sits on the ground for a dal-roti dinner... is he the proverbial chameleon? “Life’s too shallow in the glam world. The pretences, the air-kissing, the back-stabbing... it’s surreal. But, I find it enticing at the same time.
“ He surely likes the attention? “A part of me wants all the fame but I’m myself in my own surroundings. Honestly, I’m doing what is required of me. If cricketers can glamorise their sport, earn millions from endorsement deals, cozy up with Bollywood stars, why can’t I? Boxers and athletes have been underdogs for long! “ His most memorable moment? “When I saw myself on TV. It was unbelievable. “This son of the soil still can’t get over the fact that his village watched the Olympic bouts on a single TV set in a specially rigged tent for the event! Is he scared of being swept off his feet by fame and success? And does he somewhere feel ashamed of his background? “How can I forget the taujis smoking their hookahs or those lanes through which Sonu Chail (childhood best-friend, who died a few years ago) and I ran after stealing mangoes? I wouldn’t exchange them for anything in the world. There’s no question of a chasm between me and my family. They don’t embarrass me. I’ve seen so much of city life in such a short time that their simplicity is my solace. “ In a world where fame has sucked many achievers into the quicksand of self-destruction and oblivion, Vijender’s steadfast ways and clarity of thought are refreshing.
A village boy at heart and a sleek social schmoozer, he straddles both boats with equal ease. Maybe, it’s his quiet dignity and zen-like calm, traits of a real boxer, which draw a Salman Khan to ask him for fitness tips. But, does he feel a misfit in hi-society, will he ever truly belong there? “don’t regret my background, my upbringing. I am what I am because of my circumstances. Where would the anger have come from if I had a sheltered upbringing? Without that fire in the belly, there would be no Vijender the boxer, right? “Right!
I bet you liked it...didn't you?
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