Rajesh to defend WBC title against Ghana boxer

Gurugram : India's Rajesh Kumar will defend his WBC World Youth Lightweight title against African boxer Bright Ayala at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex here on September 15.

"I won the WBC youth world title in Haryana's Panchukla in April. I have accepted Ayala's challenge and will show him by posting a knock out win," Luka, a resident of Haryana's Bhiwani, told IANS.

Rajesh, also known as Luka, has been training at the Sai Hostel in Bhiwani where star boxer Vijender Singh used to train. Luka won the Federation Cup championship in 2012.

"I was born and brought up in a small family and my father was a driver and mom was a housewife. In 2011 my sister was diagnosed with cancer. We sold our family land for her treatment but couldn't save her. In 2013 my father was also diagnosed with cancer and expired," Luka said.

"The entire family was now dependent on me for bread and butter. We needed money so I started a tea stall in 2013 near my house. I was doing my best at amateur boxing but I needed money and sufficient income for my family which I wasn't getting in amateur boxing that's why I started professional boxing in 2015," Luka added.

"In 2016 I participated in Professional Boxing Championship which took place in South Korea. I won the championship in 4 rounds and then in China for 6 rounds," he further added.

"The event will be a complete package of action and entertainment as it will be hosted by Actor Rannvijay Singh followed by a performance by Punjabi singer Parmish Verma, followed by fights," Jai Singh Shekhawat, founder of Royal Sports Promotion, who is organising the event, told IANS.

"The other bouts will be held between Vikas Khatri (India) and Munish Sharma (India); Sunil Siwach (India) and Ravshnbek Shermatov (Uzbekistan); Sagar Narwat (India) and Zhang Tan (China)," Shekhawat added.

(Pradeep Singh can be contacted at pradeepsinghrao@gmail.com)