Watching Rathore on the podium inspired me to win Oly medal: Vijender

TIL Desk Sports/ About 12 years ago, a young boxer from Haryana wrote his name in the history books of Indian sport after winning the country”s maiden Olympic medal in boxing. Vijender Singh”s bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics changed the face of Indian boxing and inspired many to take up the sport.

However, while talking during India”s rising table tennis player Mudit Dani”s online lockdown live chat show ”In The Sportlight”, Vijender revealed how watching his fellow countryman Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore finishing on the podium at the 2004 Olympic Games inspired him and made him hungry for the metal.

 Shooter Rathore clinched India”s first-ever Olympic medal in an individual category when he won silver in Athens where Vijender had appeared in his first Olympics at the age of 18. “It”s an amazing feeling to represent your country at the Olympics and for me 2004 was a lot like that as I was happy and satisfied being present there, witnessing the opening ceremony and watching the contingents from other countries; inspecting the villages and enjoying the food and atmosphere.