Last shot at Oly qualification, Vijender not nervous

"I have always been under pressure ever since I won the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics. It is nothing new for me. It`s there before I leave for any tournament," the World Championship bronze-medallist said on the eve of the Indian team`s departure for the Qualifiers starting April 4 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

"There was pressure when I didn`t get a gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. I went on to get a gold medal in the Asian Games but that hasn`t lessened the pressure. All I can say is that I have become mentally better prepared to deal with it since Beijing," the 26-year-old middleweight boxer told reporters.

Vijender lost in the very first round of the first Olympic Qualifiers -- the World Championships in Azerbaijan last year. But being on the edge is nothing new for him.

"It`s the same situation that I faced before the Beijing Games. I had lost in two attempts and was left with just one chance. At that time, there were just two slots available and I went on to win the gold.

"This time, there are four slots in my category. So, I have a better chance. I just have to make the semifinals," he explained. The strapping six-footer from Haryana also became a touch philosophical when talking about his prospects in the Qualifiers.

"I have to give my 100 per cent in the ring and that I will do, but the rest of it is in God`s hands. So hopefully he will be kind to me," he said with a smile.