Tendulkar wishes good luck to Vijender for title fight
Mumbai, July 16 (IANS) Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar wished good luck to India’s star boxer Vijender Singh who will fight for the WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight title against Australia’s Kerry Hope here on Saturday.
Vijender, who won his first six professional bouts outside India, will fight for the first time in front of his home fans in New Delhi.
The 43-year-old former India batsman, besides wishing the 2008 Olympic Games bronze medallist boxer, also said he is sure the 30-year-old Delhi lad will make the nation proud by winning the bout.
“Wishing all the very best to @boxervijender. You will surely make our nation proud. #RingKaKing,” Tendulkar tweeted on Saturday.
Vijender will face an opponent who has an experience of 30 bouts, of which he has won 23, out of which two were by knock-outs.
The Beijing Olympics bronze medallist has won all his six fights so far, but Hope has more experience and is a better calibre fighter than Vijender’s previous opponents.
The 34-year-old has been a professional boxer for 12 years and has been involved in 30 fights over that period with a record of 23-7. That, along with the fact that he is a left-hander — a distinct advantage in most sports — makes the Australian of Welsh origin a dangerous opponent.