Prediction: Will Vikas Krishan Yadav win a medal in Tokyo Olympics?
Veteran Indian boxer Vikas Krishan, who has been in the business for over two decades, is ready to make his third appearance at the Olympics in Tokyo later this month. Vikas has gone out of his way to re-examine and improve his performances in his quest to taste Olympic medal glory. He is only the second boxer from India – after Vijender Singh - to qualify for three Olympic Games.
Vikas dominated Japan’s Quincy Okazawa in the 69kg quartersfinals at the Asian boxing Olympic qualifiers in Amman, Jordan, to book his berth for the Summer Games.
Vikas Krishan has made two appearances at the Olympic Games. In the 2012 London Olympics, he was knocked out in the preliminary round while he managed to survive till the quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Vikas Krishan's recent performances
Vikas Krishan Yadav received a breakthrough in his career at the 2010 Asian Youth Boxing Championship. He won a gold medal in the 69kg middleweight category.
At the 2014 Asian Games, Vikas won the bronze medal after losing to Kazakhstan’s Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in the semifinals. The following year he clinched the silver medal in the middleweight category at the Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok.
In 2016, Vikas made his second Olympic appearance at the Rio Olympics but unfortunately had to walk out without any medals as he lost in the quarterfinals round of the 75kg middleweight.
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he clinched the gold medal in the Middleweight category and as a result, he became the first Indian male boxer to win the top prize at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
In the same year, at the Jakarta Asian Games, he was forced to settle for the bronze medal after he withdrew from the semi-final round due to a serious eye injury.
In March 2020, Vikas qualified for the Olympics after his quarter-final win against Japan’s Quincy Okazawa at the Asia and Oceania Olympics Qualification Tournament. He also reached the final where he had to pull out of the tournament due to an injury.
Vikas Krishan's major achievements.
-2018 Asian Games: Bronze medal
-2018 Commonwealth Games: Gold medal
-2017 Asian Boxing Championship: Bronze medal
-2011 World Championships: Bronze medal
Will Vikas Krishan win a medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020?
Vikas Krishan has won several medals over the years. But having to return from the Summer Games empty-handed twice is agonizing.
Vikas Krishan went back to start from the basics again to strengthen his preparation in what could be his last Olympic Games.
He wants to ensure he doesn’t let anyone score a point against him at the Tokyo Games. He has been working and analyzing his defense, techniques, punches, movements inside the ring as well as diet, to dominate his way to an Olympic gold medal.