Finally, for this young boxing sensation, the Olympic fever is over. But that does not stop Vijender Singh from celebrating his life  further. Come Diwali and the boxing pin-up boy would be celebrating the festival and his birthday together. “I am so happy that after a long time I will finally celebrate Diwali at home, which also happens to coincide with my birthday,” says Vijender.

On October 29, which also happens to be Diwali this year, Vijender will turn 22. The Olympic bronze medalist remembers Diwali as a time when he would be at his mischievous best. “My friends and I would often throw lit crackers in people’s balconies,” recalls Vijender.

But this ardent fan of Rocky Balboa (the character played by Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky series) wasn’t a daredevil as a kid. He never dared to burst a cracker in his hand. “I may be a boxer now, but as a kid I was a bit scared with the idea of doing such a thing,” confesses Vijender.

Adds the ‘family boy’, “For the last four years, I have been spending Diwali away from home for some reason or the other. This year I have made it a point not to miss it.”