Vijender hints at bout with Khan in India

NEW DELHI: Elated and exhausted in equal measure after being crowned the WBO Asia Pacific champion, Vijender Singh says he will savour the triumph for a while before looking at the possibility of a showdown with Pakistan-origin British star Amir Khan, who is keen for a face-off with him.

Dedicating the triumph to the late Muhammad Ali, Vijender got just a few moments to celebrate with his team before being asked “what next”?

“I want to take some rest, may be for a month or so and we will see after that,” was his initial response.

But with no stopping the questions on his future in the postbout press conference, the star finally listed his options.

“My world ranking will be in the top 15. I will get harder fights now but I am ready for it. I will work with my coaches and my team and we will go for it.

“Mine and Amir’s weight categories are different. So, in case he increases his weight or I decrease mine then we can work it out. We are thinking about it, so let’s see. I hope that when that big fight happens, it happens in India only,” said Vijender, thanking the fans several times during the presser for packing the 5,000-capacity stadium.

Amir, a former WBA world champion, is primarily a lightweight boxer, who recently tried himself in the middleweight by taking on world champion Saul Canelo Alvarez.