Vijender Singh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vijender Singh
Singh at the Femina Miss India 2014
Statistics
Real name	Vijender Singh Beniwal
Nickname(s)	Singh
Rated at	Super-middleweight
Height	6 ft 0 in
Reach	76 in
Nationality	Indian
Born	(1985-10-29) 29 October 1985 (age 39) Kaluwas, Haryana, India
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	14
Wins	13
Wins by KO	9
Losses	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  India Olympic Games Bronze 2008 Beijing Middleweight World Championships Bronze 2009 Milan Middleweight Commonwealth Games Silver 2006 Melbourne Welterweight Silver 2014 Glasgow Middleweight Bronze 2010 Delhi Middleweight Asian Games Gold 2010 Guangzhou Middleweight Bronze 2006 Doha Middleweight Asian Championships Silver 2007 Ulaanbaatar Middleweight Bronze 2009 Zhuhai Middleweight

Vijender Singh Beniwal (born 29 October 1985) is a famous Indian professional boxer and a politician. He made history by becoming the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal. He earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Before turning professional, he won many medals as an amateur boxer. These include bronze medals at the 2009 World Championships and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won silver medals at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games. All these achievements were in the middleweight boxing division.

In June 2015, Vijender Singh decided to become a professional boxer. He signed a deal with Queensberry Promotions. This meant he could not compete in the 2016 Olympics, which would have been his fourth Olympic appearance. He has also been active in politics, running in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Where did Vijender Singh grow up?

Vijender Singh was born on October 29, 1985. His family lived in Kaluwas village in Haryana, India. His father, Mahipal Singh Beniwal, worked as a bus driver. His mother was a homemaker. His father often worked extra hours to earn more money for Vijender's and his older brother Manoj's education.

Vijender went to primary school in Kaluwas. He then went to secondary school in Bhiwani. Later, he earned a bachelor's degree from Vaish College in Bhiwani. In 2011, he married Archana Singh. They have two sons named Abir and Amrik.

Why did Vijender Singh start boxing?

Vijender wanted to help his family have a better life. He decided to learn boxing. His older brother, Manoj, was also a boxer and inspired him. Manoj joined the Indian Army in 1998 because of his boxing skills. After that, Manoj helped Vijender financially so he could keep training.

Vijender's parents saw his talent and passion for boxing. They decided not to pressure him to continue his studies. Boxing quickly became more than just a hobby for Vijender; it became his career choice. Besides boxing, he also did some modeling to help pay for his training.

Vijender looks up to famous boxers like Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. He also admires boxing promoter Don King. The character Rocky Balboa from the Rocky movies also inspired him.

Amateur Boxing Career Highlights

How did Vijender Singh begin his boxing journey?

Vijender trained at the Bhiwani Boxing Club. There, a former national boxer and trainer named Jagdish Singh noticed his skills. Vijender first gained recognition when he won a state-level competition. He won a silver medal at his first sub-junior nationals in 1997. Then, he won his first gold medal at the 2000 Nationals.

In 2003, he became the all-India youth boxing champion. A big moment came at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games. Even though he was a junior boxer, Vijender tried out and was chosen. He fought bravely and won a silver medal.

What happened at the 2004 Athens Olympics and Commonwealth Games?

Vijender with actress Amrita Rao during a ramp walk on a modelling show.

Vijender competed in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. He was in the welterweight division. However, he lost to Mustafa Karagollu from Turkey.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, he beat England's Neil Perkins in the semifinal. But he lost to South Africa's Bongani Mwelase in the final. This earned him a silver medal. He then moved up to the middleweight (75 kg) division. At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, he won a bronze medal. He lost his semifinal match to Kazakhstan's Bakhtiyar Artayev.

Vijender was not supposed to compete due to a back injury. But he recovered in time to win the tournament. This allowed him to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

How did Vijender prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

To prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Vijender trained with German boxers. He also competed in a tournament in Europe. He won a gold medal there, beating a German boxer. At The President's Cup boxing tournament, Vijender defeated Artayev in a quarterfinal.

He felt confident about his fitness. Vijender said that he had more experience now. He had won medals at big tournaments like the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He also mentioned that Indian boxers were becoming stronger.

Vijender Singh's Olympic Medal and Top Rank

Vijender at the opening of a gymnasium in Mumbai.

For the Olympics, Vijender continued training in Patiala, India. The Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) filmed his opponents' fights. Coaches studied these videos to help Vijender and other Indian boxers prepare.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won his first two fights. He beat Badou Jack from The Gambia and Angkhan Chomphuphuang from Thailand. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Carlos Góngora from Ecuador. This win guaranteed him a medal. It was the first Olympic medal ever for an Indian boxer! He lost to Cuba's Emilio Correa in the semi-finals. He shared a bronze medal.

Vijender and wrestler Sushil Kumar received a grand welcome back in India. In July 2009, Vijender, Sushil, and boxer Mary Kom received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. This is India's highest sporting honor. It was the first time three athletes received the award at once. Vijender and Kom were the first boxers to get this award.

In September 2009, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) ranked Vijender as the top middleweight boxer in the world. He was number one with 2800 points.

What happened at the 2009 World Championships?

Vijender competed at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships. He lost to Abbos Atoev from Uzbekistan in the semi-final. This earned him a bronze medal. He won the first round, but Atoev scored many points in the second.

Padma Shri, Commonwealth, and Asian Games Achievements

The President, Pratibha Patil presenting the Arjuna Award to Vijender Singh in 2006

In January 2010, Vijender received the Padma Shri award. This award is for great contributions to Indian sports. Later, he won a silver medal at a boxing tournament in China. He lost to Zhang Jin Ting in the final.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Boxing Championship in New Delhi, he won a gold medal. He defeated England's Frank Buglioni.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Vijender Singh lost to England's Anthony Ogogo in the semi-finals. He was ahead on points, but the referee gave him two penalties. This caused him to lose the match. The Indian Boxing Federation tried to appeal, but it was unsuccessful. Vijender received a bronze medal. He felt the penalties were "harsh and unfair."

One month later, in November, he won the 2010 Asian Games. He defeated Uzbek two-time world champion Abbos Atoev in the final.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won his first two fights. He beat Danabek Suzhanov from Kazakhstan and Terrell Gausha from America. He then lost to Abbos Atoev from Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals.

In the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Singh won a silver medal. He was defeated by England's Antony Fowler.

Professional Boxing Career

How did Vijender Singh start his professional career?

Vijender Singh became a professional boxer. He signed a multi-year deal with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions. On October 10, 2015, he had his first professional fight. He won by TKO (Technical Knockout) against Sonny Whiting.

He continued his winning streak. On November 7, he knocked out British boxer Dean Gillen in the first round. In his third fight, he defeated Bulgarian Samet Hyuseinov by technical knockout. By May 2016, he had won all six of his professional fights by knockout.

Winning Titles and Later Fights

On July 7, 2016, Singh fought Australian Kerry Hope in India. He won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title. This was his seventh win in a row. He won by unanimous decision, which means all judges agreed he won. After this win, the WBO ranked him 10th in the world.

Singh successfully defended his title against Francis Cheka. He won by technical knockout in the third round. This fight was very popular in India, with many viewers and a large crowd.

In June 2017, the WBO approved a fight between Singh and Zulpikar Maimaitiali of China. This fight was called "Battleground Asia" and took place on August 5, 2017, in Mumbai. Singh won the fight by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. He kept his Asia Pacific title and also won the Oriental title. After the fight, Singh praised his opponent. He also offered his title back to Maimaitiali as a message of peace, referring to tensions between India and China.

On December 23, 2017, Singh fought Ghanaian boxer Ernest Amuzu in Jaipur. Singh won by a dominant decision after 10 rounds. All three judges scored the fight 100–90 in his favor. This brought his record to 10 wins and no losses.

Joining Top Rank

After not fighting in 2018, Singh signed a deal with Top Rank. This is a big American boxing promotion company.

Professional Boxing Record

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
14	Win	13–1	Eliasu Sulley	KO	2 (6), 2:07	17 Aug 2022	Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium, Raipur, India
13	Loss	12–1	Artysh Lopsan	TKO	5 (8), 1:09	19 Mar 2021	Majestic Pride Casino, Goa, India
12	Win	12–0	Charles Adamu	UD	8	22 Nov 2019	Caesars Palace Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
11	Win	11–0	Mike Snider	KO	4 (8), 1:23	13 Jul 2019	Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, US
10	Win	10–0	Ernest Amuzu	UD	10	23 Dec 2017	Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium, Jaipur, India	Retained WBO Asia Pacific, and WBO Oriental super-middleweight titles
9	Win	9–0	Zulpikar Maimaitiali	UD	10	5 Aug 2017	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai, India	Retained WBO Asia Pacific super-middleweight title; Won WBO Oriental super-middleweight title
8	Win	8–0	Francis Cheka	TKO	3 (10), 1:36	17 Dec 2016	Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi, India	Retained WBO Asia Pacific super-middleweight title
7	Win	7–0	Kerry Hope	UD	10	16 Jul 2016	Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi, India	Won vacant WBO Asia Pacific super-middleweight title
6	Win	6–0	Andrzej Soldra	TKO	3 (8), 2:00	13 May 2016	Macron Stadium, Bolton, England
5	Win	5–0	Matiouze Royer	TKO	5 (6), 1:10	30 Apr 2016	Copper Box Arena, London, England
4	Win	4–0	Alexander Horvath	KO	3 (6), 1:02	12 Mar 2016	Echo Arena, Liverpool, England
3	Win	3–0	Samet Hyuseinov	TKO	2 (4), 0:35	19 Dec 2015	Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
2	Win	2–0	Dean Gillen	KO	1 (4), 3:06	7 Nov 2015	National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
1	Win	1–0	Sonny Whiting	TKO	3 (4), 2:08	10 Oct 2015	Manchester Arena, Manchester, England

Political Career

When did Vijender Singh join politics?

Vijender Singh joined the Indian National Congress party before the 2019 Indian general election. He ran for election in the South Delhi area but did not win.

In April 2024, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This was just before the 2024 Indian general election.

Filmography

See also

• Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Middleweight
• Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's middleweight