Olympics-bound boxer Vikas Krishan, who is planning to compete in some professional bouts before returning to the amateur fold for the Tokyo Games, has got a shot in the arm with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) approving his request to train in the USA “as part of his preparations for the Olympics”.
The 28-year-old, who has booked an Olympic quota place in the 69kg category, will travel to the USA later this week along with coach Ron Simms.
They will train at the Alexandria Boxing Club in Virginia till November 30.
Vikas, who is a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), has been approved a financial assistance of ₹17.5 lakh for the visit, said a statement from the SAI on Wednesday.
In an earlier interaction with The Hindu, Simms — who is employed with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) that also supports the boxer —had said that Vikas planned to fight some professional bouts in the first few months of 2021 before returning to the amateur fold.
Good experience
Boxing Federation of India’s high performance director Santiago Nieva, who ‘recommended’ Vikas’ training in the USA, said: “It will be a very good experience for Vikas. He has been in the National team for so many years and it is a good time for him to go and do a little bit different.
“After he comes back, we will focus on the camps and different tournaments for the Olympic-style boxing ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.”
