Indian Football Team striker Jeje Lalpekhlua has taken up boxing for strength training and expertly uses his feet to move around while planting his knuckles.
The 29-year-old, who has joined SC East Bengal for the current season and has 21 International goals from his 56 caps for India, however, is no stranger to the Ring. "One day, my father brought home a pair of boxing gloves, and I started practising with it. Soon I took up proper coaching and started competing in local tournaments too," AIFF.com quoted Jeje as saying.
"I used to play a number of sports back when I was young, and boxing was one of them, along with football and lawn tennis," he added.
The seasoned striker had even gone on to win a junior level local boxing tournament, the Hnahthial Open when he was around 10-years-old.
"It's always nice to win something. I really enjoyed boxing - I still do. This is a sport that really puts you through a lot of hard training, and you can always reap the benefits of that, even as a footballer," said Jeje.
The rigorous routine that boxers have to undergo helps in achieving supreme levels of fitness. However, even after he chose to pursue football on a full-time basis, Jeje has found a way to inculcate something from his past into his training
"I generally do not get the opportunity to do any boxing training routines during a busy season," said the two-time Hero ISL winner.
"But when I come home for the off-season, I do make it a point to go to the boxing academy here I Aizawl to get back that old boxing touch," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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