Indian boxer beats China rival then offers belt back to heal border dispute

Title winner says he doesn't want tension on the border

Indian boxer Vijender Singh won a title fight against his Chinese opponent on Saturday and offered to hand back the prize as a gesture of peace between the two nations.

Vijender Singh managed to beat Zulpikar Maimaitiali to gain his WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight title and take his opponent’s WBO Oriental super middleweight belt, The Guardian reported.



After the verdict was announced, Singh hugged Amitabh Bachchan and other Bollywood celebrities present before returning to the ring. He then said, "I don’t want this title. I will give it back to Zulpikar."

The title winner added, "I don’t want tension on the border. It’s a message of peace. That’s important."



Vijender's gesture follows a stand-off in a remote frontier region beside the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan that has become increasingly tense. China has demanded India to immediately remove troops from the border, accusing it of building up troops and repairing roads along its side of the border next to the Indian state of Sikkim.

The current standoff began on June 16 when a column of Chinese troops accompanied by construction vehicles and road-building equipment began moving south into what Bhutan considers its territory.