Vijender Singh faces Andrzej Soldra in crucial fight on May 13

 Andrzej Soldra 

Vijender Singh

London, May 7, 2016: Indian superstar Vijender Singh who is just one fight away from his summer Indian homecoming WBO Asia Title Fight, will face an experienced Polish Andrzej Soldra in his fifth fight at Macron Stadium, Premier Suite, Bolton (Lancashire) on May 13.

The red-hot super middleweight ace, who won Bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games has made an explosive start to his professional career in the paid ranks by blowing away his first five opponents, is undefeated in five fights with five knockouts in only 14 rounds of action.

The 30-year-old, from Bhiwani, is an icon in his homeland and his summer hero’s return will be a national homecoming event and he says that there is no way that rival Andrzej Soldra will upset that from happening.

Andrzej Soldra from Poland, comes into the fight against Vijender Singh with a record of 12 wins with 5 knockouts from 16 fights. The 30 year old has the edge in experience over Vijender Singh with 81 rounds under his belt and has no fear fighting his first fight abroad. Soldra also has a brilliant record in amateur career with 82 wins from 98 fights.

Soldra has only been stopped thrice in a professional career spanning over five years and will be looking to spoil the party when he makes his first appearance in UK soil. Vijender Singh knows it is crucial that he wins at the Macron Stadium before setting his eyes on a huge Indian homecoming.

Undefeated Vijender Singh claimed his fifth professional win at the Copper Box Arena last month with a blistering fifth round stoppage of Frenchman Matiouze Royer. The Indian knockout merchant ended the contest in the fifth round with a punishing stoppage win over Royer and will be looking to claim another KO win at the Macron Stadium.

Commenting on his sixth fight Vijender Singh said “I have seen videos of Soldra he is a good opponent but I am preparing very hard to give him a tough time in the ring. He’s very experienced though and with 16 fights and 81 rounds he’s got the advantage over me in that department but I will stop him”.

“I know this fight is very crucial for me and I need to continue my unbeaten record and it’s important that I put on a commanding performance against Soldra to keep on course for my title shot and my homecoming. I am really excited to finish off my sixth fight on a winning note and then compete for Asia title in front of my home crowd”.

However, Andrzej Soldra has threatened to stop the Indian Hotshot in his tracks and inflict this first loss on his record.

“Vijender has never met anyone like me and he will realize what it is like fighting with a real professional boxer on the 13th May. I will take great delight in handing Vijender Singh in his first loss and sending him back home to India beaten and broken. In fact I will tell you what I will do to him, I will smash him to the body to loosen him up and then a right hand to knock him out, just watch me” said Andrzej Soldra.

Press release

Table tennis: Ghosh blows up Sharath hegemony, top Indian in the world

 New Delhi, May 5, 2016: Rio Olympics-bound Soumyajit Ghosh upstaged his icon and friend Achanta Sharath Kamal in world ranking on today.

As per the ITTF world ranking list released on Thursday, Ghosh has grabbed the No. 65 spot to be ahead of Sharath by eight places. Sharath, who had occupied the position at No. 61 in April, has been pushed down to No. 73. Incidentally, this is the first time ever that Ghosh has demolished the Sharath hegemony.

  

The remarkable upswing in Ghosh’s world ranking was possible because of his sterling performances at the Asian Cup in Dubai last week. Ghosh had beaten a higher ranked Korean player apart from accounting for a Taipei paddler, paving the way for the surge.

Ghosh had finished seventh in the Inter Continental Cup Group of the Asian Cup event at Dubai last week. After qualifying for the main draw, he defeated for the first time Taipei’s Chiang Hung-Chieh 4-3 (10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4) in a tough battle.

But even before that, Ghosh had another first to his credit when he felled Korean Youngsik Jung in the semifinals of the men’s singles challenge 3-2 (11-6, 7-11,  11-8, 10-12, 11-8) to enter the main draw. Ghosh had lost badly to the Korean twice before both at Australia Open Challenge and Korea Open, which is a super series. As for the group stage, Ghosh led all the way through, accounting for Iran’s Nima Alamian 3-2, Abdulla Albalooshi of UAE 3-0 and Singapore’s Clarence Chew Zhe Yu 3-1 to enter the main draw.

Sharath, who too participated in the Dubai event, lost all three of his qualifying matches and that has cost him dear. Unfortunately, Sharath has had a very bad season since the 2015 world championships and injury after injury has pushed him down.  

National champion Manika Batra, too, gained six places, to be at No. 128 after putting up a fine display at the Asian Cup’s Continental group event. She led the pack of four players, defeating Noora Al-Abri of Qatar 3-0, Majd Alblooshi of UAE 3-1 and then finally scalping Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut 3-0 to enter the quarterfinals, which is the women’s singles challenge. In the quarters, she lost to Hong Kong’s Huajun Jiang 1-3 (5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11).

Nevertheless, this ranking boost should help her before as she embarks on her maiden Olympics trip.

Mouma, another Rio-bound player, has lost eight places since her outing in the World Championships in Malaysia. She was No. 150 soon after but today she is occupying the No. 158 spot in world rankings.  

TTFI release