When you talk about boxing in India, it is incomplete without mention of Vijender Singh. The star Indian boxer celebrates his birthday on October 25, 2019. Singh, an Olympic Bronze medallist, has won many accolades for India at the international levels. He has a won bronze medal in World Championships, two silvers and one bronze in Commonwealth Games, a gold and bronze medals in Asian Games, a silver and bronze medals in Asian Championships. Other than boxing, Singh also had a keen interest in modelling. Since his early boxing days, he used to work part-time as a model to support his coaching. National Sports Day 2019: Shikhar Dhawan, Vijender Singh, VVS Laxman & Other Indian Sports Stars Pay Tribute to Hockey Legend Major Dhyan Chand. 

After winning multiple laurels for the country in the sport of boxing, Singh even tried his hands at acting with a Bollywood film. With his numerous appearances on television, he was able to bring boxing to limelight in the country. As India’s boxing legend celebrates his birthday, we will look at some of his notable appearances in TV shows and films. 'Stop Fighting Kids, I Am Ready for a Bout,' India's Vijender Singh Challenges British-Origin Pakistan Boxer Amir Khan. 

  1. Vijender Singh appeared on Salman Khan's hosted TV show Dus ka Dum. He appeared in the TV reality game show in the 5th episode of the 2nd season in June 2009, along with actress Malika Sherawat. Vijender won Rs. 1 lakh in the episode.

  2. Singh also appeared on dance reality show Nach Baliye in 2009. He performed a dance sequence with Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu.

  3. In 2015, he appeared in the reality show Roadies X2 on MTV. He was one of the four judges in the show. He was part of the show for a long time, indulging in various activities with the contestants.

  4. In June 2015, Singh made his Bollywood debut as an actor in a film titled Fugly. The film released on June 13, 2014 and got above average reviews.

These were some prominent appearances of Vijender Singh on television. His numerous TV appearances have made him a popular sports celebrity among Indian audience, which has helped to popularise boxing among youths of the country. Singh has largely credited for bringing boxing into the limelight in a country which is dominated by cricket. For his great contributions to the sport, Singh had been awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Padma Shri Award by the Indian government. Currently, he is a professional boxer and has won 11 consecutive fights in his professional career.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 29, 2019 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).