<p>The 23-year-old middle weight bronze medallist from Beijing Olympics would be up against top boxers from Europe and Cuba in the event, which is part of the European boxing calendar.<br /><br />“I have trained for one-and-half months in Patiala. I am not carrying any injuries and I do feel fresh. The nagging pain in my back has also subsided and I am confident of doing well,” said Vijender, who along with five others leaves on Monday night for the tournament in the Czech Republic.<br /><br />Vijender said staying out of the ring for eight months would not make him rusty.<br /><br />“I will try my best but luck is also something. Let’s see what happens but I think I have trained hard enough to be ready for the challenge,” he said. The other five boxers in the Indian team are Suranjoy Singh (51kg), former national champion P Narjeet Singh (54kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and reigning light welter weight national champion Manoj Kumar. <br /><br />C Kuttappa, the man Vijender has credited for grooming him before the Olympics, will be accompanying the team as coach. Vijender said he is well aware of the expectations from him post-Olympics.<br /><br />“There is pressure to perform after winning the medal in Beijing but then, I generally do well when put under pressure. It brings out the best in me and hopefully, I will be able to prove this with my performance in this Grand Prix event,” he said.<br /><br />The Bhiwani-boxer said the tournament would help him assess his fitness as he gears up for next month’s Asian Championship in China and the World Championship scheduled for August-September in Italy.<br /><br />“It is like a preparatory tournament, that is why I am not putting myself under too much pressure. But obviously, if I don’t do well, questions will be asked, which I don’t want,” he said.</p>
<p>The 23-year-old middle weight bronze medallist from Beijing Olympics would be up against top boxers from Europe and Cuba in the event, which is part of the European boxing calendar.<br /><br />“I have trained for one-and-half months in Patiala. I am not carrying any injuries and I do feel fresh. The nagging pain in my back has also subsided and I am confident of doing well,” said Vijender, who along with five others leaves on Monday night for the tournament in the Czech Republic.<br /><br />Vijender said staying out of the ring for eight months would not make him rusty.<br /><br />“I will try my best but luck is also something. Let’s see what happens but I think I have trained hard enough to be ready for the challenge,” he said. The other five boxers in the Indian team are Suranjoy Singh (51kg), former national champion P Narjeet Singh (54kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and reigning light welter weight national champion Manoj Kumar. <br /><br />C Kuttappa, the man Vijender has credited for grooming him before the Olympics, will be accompanying the team as coach. Vijender said he is well aware of the expectations from him post-Olympics.<br /><br />“There is pressure to perform after winning the medal in Beijing but then, I generally do well when put under pressure. It brings out the best in me and hopefully, I will be able to prove this with my performance in this Grand Prix event,” he said.<br /><br />The Bhiwani-boxer said the tournament would help him assess his fitness as he gears up for next month’s Asian Championship in China and the World Championship scheduled for August-September in Italy.<br /><br />“It is like a preparatory tournament, that is why I am not putting myself under too much pressure. But obviously, if I don’t do well, questions will be asked, which I don’t want,” he said.</p>