Hungarian boxer Alexander Horvath has made an unusual dietary choice as he prepares to take on Indian pugilist Vijender Singh at the Liverpool Echo Arena on March 12 -- he is drinking snake's blood.
The 20 year-old is preparing for his clash with Vijender in his homeland and has added fresh snake blood to his strict diet in the hope it will make him strong and powerful. Fresh snake blood is popular in some parts of Hungary with many locals drinking it to harbour its supposed magical power.
"There is a long and proud tradition of drinking fresh snake blood in my family that goes back many centuries. Like my forefathers before me I am a true warrior and will stop at nothing to get my victory. Hungarian soldiers drank snake blood to defeat the Turks all those years ago and now I'm drinking it to beat Singh," Horvath was quoted as saying in a statement.
"The blood of these sacred animals makes me powerful beyond words. With snake blood coursing through my veins there in no way that Singh will defeat me. Since I've added snake blood to my diet I have been able to train harder than ever before without tiring and I'm punching harder than ever," Horvath, who will take on Vijender in a six-round contest, added.
The Hungarian is not the only person in the world to follow this unusual dietary choice. Soldiers in several armies across the world including in India, have been known to drink snake blood as part of their jungle survival training.
The Maasai people of Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania also enjoy to the odd glass of raw blood. Their traditional diet is almost entirely made up of blood and milk from their livestock which is rich in iron, protein and calcium.
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There are several snake species indigenous to Hungary, but Horvath has acquired a taste for the deadliest of them all -- the viper.
Horvath, who has the edge in experience over Vijender with 31 rounds under his belt, has won five of his seven professional bouts. The Hungarian has no fear of fighting abroad having competed in Slovakia and France, and promised to give Vijender the toughest night of his career.
"I know there is a lot of hype around him and he's a bit of a celebrity back in India. But none of that will help him once he steps in the ring with me. I'm heading over to England to teach him a lesson in boxing and there's only going to be one winner. On the night I will be too strong and too quick for him," he said.