Dance knockout : Akhil

Dance knockout

Inside the boxing ring, Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar is known to be a swift mover. Known for his open guard stance and constant swinging of the arms, the Haryana pugilist is the face of Indian boxing along with team-mate Vijender Singh. After being rested for the Asian Games, Kumar is back in action but this time in a new avatar. The Haryana Police DSP is donning dancing shoes in the fourth season of Sony's hit show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Kumar sees many similarities between dancing and boxing.

"Boxing involves a lot of footwork and it's the same in dancing. Since the national camp is off for one month, I hope dancing will keep me in shape. Boxers like Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray were also great dancers and took part in a lot of dancing competitions. At NIS, Patiala, all of us dance a lot during our free time. It was one of the main reasons for me to agree to this show," explains Kumar, who has been in Mumbai for the past three weeks to shoot for the show. A fan of Dharmendra, Kumar was at loss for words when he met the veteran actor during the shoot of the first episode. The two had a long chat on fitness.

Kumar is accompanied by wife Poonam, who is also a boxing coach and it means that the mornings are spent doing boxing training together. Having been out of action for the past two months, Kumar is eager to get his groove back and is happy that apart from poster boy Vijender Singh, he too is doing his bit for the sport. "Whatever I am today, it's due to boxing. I was not in the Asian Games team but I will be joining the national camp once it starts. Boxing is everything for me and my aim is to cement my place again. If I get offers for some roles in movies, I am open to it but not at the cost of my training or competitions. It's good that boxers are being approached for such things. It helps the sport to remain in the spotlight," he says.