Vijender Singh Out of Asian Games

Vijender Singh will not participate in the Incheon Asian Games next month. India's best bet in the 75 kg category has ruled himself out of the Games after failing to recover from a nose injury sustained in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Vijender skipped the national trials in Patiala on Tuesday. The 28-year-old had won the silver medal in Glasgow. Vijender, a bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was comprehensively beaten 3-0 by England's Antony Fowler in a middleweight 75kg bout in the Glasgow Games earlier this month.

The star Indian pugilist suffered a knockdown against Fowler. Vijender failed to live up to the expectations as he was beaten by a superior opponent in a unanimous verdict. Vijender was not his aggressive self and failed to breach the tight defence of his opponent.

To the dismay of the Indian team, Vijender got a knockdown in the first round itself as he failed to thwart a ferocious punch from the Englishman and he was on his knees as the referee began the countdown.

Vijender got up in no time but he looked rattled by the blow. Fowler dominated the second round also as he got the nod of all the three judges with Vijender finding it hard to land his punches on his opponent.

Vijender, who had won a silver in 2006 Melbourne Games and a bronze in 2010 Delhi Games, came back strongly in the third and final round and all the three judges gave scores in favour of him but the deficit from the first two rounds was too much for him to stage a comeback.