News Sports Other Vijender Singh returns Zulpikar Maimaitiali's title as a sign of national peace

Vijender Singh returns Zulpikar Maimaitiali's title as a sign of national peace

It was a sign of true gesture showcased by the Indian boxer because the countries have been involved in a lingering dispute for quite a while now.

Boxing Image Source : GETTY IMAGESVijender Singh throws a punch at Zulpikar Maimaitiali in for the title.

Indian boxer Vijender Singh won his fight on Saturday and then offered to give his Chinese opponent's belt back in a gesture of peace between the two rival nations. The two boxers landed solid jabs and blows to each other as they consumed all 10 rounds in the main event of battleground Asia. Zulpikar dominated most of the rounds but it was Vijender's upper cuts and jabs that made a huge difference.

The fight against China's Zulpikar Maimaitiali went all 10 rounds with Singh the winner in a unanimous verdict — 96-93, 95-94, 95-94.

Singh successfully defended his WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight title and also took his opponent's WBO Oriental super middleweight belt.

Singh hugged top Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan and other celebrities among fans at the National Sports Club of India in Mumbai, the country's financial and entertainment capital.

Singh then came back into the ring, took the microphone and said: "I don't want this title. I will give it back to Zulpikar."
He added: "I don't want tension on the border. It's a message of peace. That's important."

The countries have been involved in a lingering dispute over a contested region high in the Himalayas where China, India and Bhutan meet.

(With AP Inputs).