Vijender Singh to face Dean Gillen in 2nd pro bout

October 20, 2015

London, Oct 20: After a knockout debut, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh will face Englishman Dean Gillen in his second professional bout and the part-time firefighter has promised to be a “dangerous opponent” in the bout scheduled for October 30.

VijenderVijender made an immediate impact in his professional debut this month when he destroyed Sonny Whiting in three rounds at the Manchester Arena.

The 29-year-old, who will be celebrating his birthday a day before his second fight, will face Nottingham’s Gillen over four rounds as he looks to claim the record of his first unbeaten pro-fighter.

Gillen made his pro debut in May this year with a points win over Shaun White and followed that up in September with a points win over Lewis Van Poetsch.

The fight between Vijender and Gillen also represents a Battle of the Badges, with the Indian being a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Haryana and Gillen a firefighter serving in Nottingham.

As an amateur, Gillen’s highlight was to win the 2013 World Police and Fire Fighter Games in Belfast where he knocked out all of his opponents to claim the gold medal and now he aims to extinguish Singh’s fire in the ring.

“I’ve watched him in the Olympics and in his pro-debut, he’s a world class kid and I can’t wait to get in there and put him to the test,” the 33-year-old Gillen said.

“He’s an Olympian and that speaks for itself, he’s a hero in his country and he’s idolised by millions of people, but at some point he’ll have to get beat and that could well be his second fight against me,” he added.

Vijender is training in Manchester with coach Lee Beard as he aims to beat Gillen and stay on track to achieve his history-making dream to become India’s first ever world professional boxing champion.

“I can’t wait for this fight against Gillen, he’s talking the fight and it looks like he will bring me a challenge in my second fight,” said Vijender.

“From what I have seen of him he looks like a good opponent who will push me and I hope he does because then the better I will fight, I rise to my opponent and it brings the best out in me,” he added.

Gillen said he would be no pushover against the Indian.

“I’m certainly no journeyman and I’m not going in to make up numbers, I’m here to fight and win. I know the odds are stacked against me, but when you’re facing life risking tasks through your job then fighting someone like Singh is a walk in the park,” he said.

“I will be coming for him. I’ve got the heart of a lion and a serious will to win. I’ve got a strong jab and the reach to take advantage of him, backed up with a solid chin and a real desire and with nothing to lose, I think I’m going to be a really dangerous opponent for Singh. Add to the fact I’ve never lost to a Police boxer in the amateurs and with stacks of pride and honour on the line, I refuse to lose,” he asserted.

Vijender, on the other hand, said he is unfazed by Gillen’s unbeaten record so far.

“He’s got an unbeaten record, albeit two fights, and it’s a big motivator for me to claim his first loss, if I can stop him, like against Whiting, then that will be another good win for me,” he said.

“While I was pleased with my pro-debut there is still plenty that I need to work on in my defence and offence and I’ve been training hard with Lee to correct things and improve, it’s a continual process and it will happen fight by fight.

“Being a fireman, he’ll be used to dealing with fire and coping with heat but this is one fire he won’t be putting out and it will be an entertaining fight for the fans in my first pro fight in the capital,” he added.

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News Network
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said he doesn't think Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play for India again, adding to the guessing game over the future of the superstar former captain.

Dhoni, 38, has not appeared for club or country since last year's 50-over World Cup and India's coronavirus lockdown could threaten his chances of getting back into the national team.

The Indian Premier League, the main platform before this year's scheduled T20 World Cup, is likely to be truncated or cancelled because of the pandemic.

Harbhajan, who plays with Dhoni at IPL side Chennai Super Kings, said international retirement was on the cards for Dhoni and that he was increasingly being asked about his teammate.

"It's up to him. You need to know whether he wants to play for India again," Harbhajan said in an online forum.

"As far as I know him, he won't want to wear India's blue jersey again. IPL he will play, but for India I think he had decided the (2019) World Cup was his last."

Dhoni, who gave up Test cricket in 2014, started training for the Super Kings in March but has not commented on his international future.

Dhoni led India to win the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007. He hit a six to seal the 2011 World Cup final victory and, along with it, his status as a national hero. He has amassed 10,773 runs from 350 ODIs.

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News Network
April 7,2020

London, Apr 7: Bowling coach Waqar Younis feels that it was the absence of pacers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir which saw Pakistan getting whitewashed during Australia tour last year.

Amir and Riaz had quit the red-ball format ahead of the matches against Australia in 2019.

"Just before the Australia series, they ditched us and we had the only choice to pick youngsters.

We were the new management and decided to go on with taking in the younger lot and groom them. ESPNcricinfo quoted Younis as saying.

Pakistan was not able to win a single match in Australia as they got defeated both in T20Is and Test series.

"It's not like we have lost a lot, but yes they left us at the wrong time. But anyway, we don't have any grudge against them," Younis added.

"We cannot control players' choice on what they want to play, but then there should be a mechanism so we all are on board. "It's not like I am saying we could have won in Australia but we could have done better than what we have done," he opined.

Amir gave up the red ball format in July in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world, while Riaz took an "indefinite break" from Test cricket in September last year.

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Agencies
February 12,2020

Mumbai, Feb 12: Former Indian greats Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin have been left disappointed by the behaviour of the Under-19 team after the World Cup final where they were involved in an altercation with their Bangladeshi counterparts.

After Bangladesh won the final beating India by three wickets (via DLS) at the Senwes Park on Sunday, the players of the two teams were seen engaging in an exchange of words and even some pushing and shoving on the field.

"I would like to see the board (BCCI) take some strict action against the players to set an example. Cricket is not about abusing the opponent. I am sure there is enough reason for these youngsters to be dealt with firmly by BCCI," Kapil was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

"I welcome aggression, nothing wrong in it. But it has to be controlled aggression. You can't cross the line of decency in the name of being competitive. I would say it was unacceptable that youngsters put up such an obnoxious display on the cricket field," he added.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sanctioned five players, including three from Bangladesh -- Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan --and two from India --Akash Singh and Ravi Bishnoi for the scuffle.

Azharuddin also reiterated what Kapil said, insisting that players need to be disciplined.

"I would take action against the errant Under 19 players, but I also want to know what role has the support staff played in educating these youngsters. Act now before it is too late. The players have to be disciplined," Azharuddin said.

Earlier, Bishan Singh Bedi has lashed out at the Priyam Garg-led team, saying their behaviour was disgusting and disgraceful.

"You bat, bowl and field badly�happens, but there's no excuse for behaving badly. The behaviour was disgusting and most disgraceful. The innocence of that age was not visible at all," Bedi told Mid Day.

Bedi, who represented India in 67 Tests and 10 ODIs, said the behaviour of the Bangladesh cricketers is not our problem.

"Look, what Bangladesh do is their problem, what our boys do is our problem. You could see that there was abusive language used," he said.

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