By Navneet Singh
Goa, Mar 17 (IANS): Professional boxer Vijender Singh of India will have a liquid diet on Wednesday night before going to bed. He is taking this step to stay in the 76.2kg bracket, mandatory for a showdown with Russian Artysh Lopsan for a super middleweight bout on Friday.
The weight of both boxers should be 76.2kg or below during the official weigh-in on Thursday morning. The main bout - comprising eight three-minute rounds with one-minute between rounds -- will take place at the rooftop of Majestic Pride Casino on Friday night.
Last week, 35-year-old Vijender's weight was close to 79kg. "The warm and humid local weather conditions in Goa are ideal to reduce weight. Even on Thursday morning, solid food will be off my menu. But after the weigh-in is over I will go for a hefty meal," Vijender told IANS exclusively after his Wednesday's training here.
Reducing weight in a temperate climate like Europe or the USA the task is always challenging, points out Singh. "It was tough when I was in the USA. I had to stay on a liquid diet for four long days," he said, recalling his training.
In case any boxer weight is over the mandatory 76.2kg, a one hour window if given to him to reduce it.
After his Wednesday's evening session, the last good training before the main bout, Singh was completely drenched in sweat after his one-and-a-half hour moderate session at Salvador Do Mundo Sports Complex, on the outskirts of the city.
Pointing towards his wet track pants and full sleeves T-shirt, Singh said the main focus in the last three days has been to maintain his weight. "I would say a good blend of training and food has been the key to cutting down almost three kilograms," he said.
Skipping solid food for a day, says Singh, will not have any impact on his overall health. "If the weight is reduced suddenly then there could be some issue, otherwise not," he stressed.
Wednesday's training drills started with rope skipping, followed by a session on the punching bag. Sparring with coach Jai Bhagwan in the ring and shadow boxing were also part of his drills. All the drills were timed.
"Each drill consisted of three minutes each with a break of one minute. This was to fine-tune his mind as each bout on Friday will be of three minutes with one minute of break," said Singh's coach-cum friend Bhagwan about the importance of timed training drills.