Chandigarh, December 5 Army man Suresh Kumar will look to rise to the occasion when he takes on Pakistan's Muhammad Bilal in a first ever professional boxing match between the two nations in the superlight weight category. The contest is scheduled for February 29, next year in Auckland (New Zealand). Kumar, who started his career in boxing from the age of 12 years, is also serving in the Army as a Tradesman Mate (Ordnance) and as far as his professional boxing career is concerned the Indian Army Pugilist has three wins and two draws to his name. He has won two of those contests by Knockout. "The rivalry between India and Pakistan in other sports such as hockey and cricket, this will be the first ever boxing clash in the professional circuit between the two nations and I am excited for it," said Kumar. "I have full confidence that I will win this fight and bring laurels to my nation, and I have been working really hard with my coach for this special face-off," he added. His mentor Jai Hind, who met Suresh almost a year ago, was also brimming with confidence and was all praises for his disciple. "He is a not just a hard hitter who can deliver heavy blows but also has an incredible capacity to soak in the hard punches thrown at him,” said Hind. —TNS

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