DeeJay Kriel’s quest to return to the top has taken him to a fight against Indian boxer Sandeep Kumar in Johannesburg early next month.
Kriel, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion, is going to take on Kumar at the UNISA Conference Centre in Johannesburg.
The 27-year-old Kriel goes into the Kumar fight following a majority decision victory over former SA flyweight champion Thembelani Nxoshe in December last year. Kriel, who is trained by award-winning boxing trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan, has registered 17 victories (eight knockouts), two defeats and a draw.
On the other hand, the 29-year-old Kumar defeated Japanese boxer Toshihiko Era by a unanimous decision in February this year. Kumar from Gurgaon in India has a professional record of 12 wins (eight stoppages) and a loss.
