NEW DELHI, Feb 3: India have jumped to third spot in the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) latest world rankings.
The Indian boxers have accumulated 36,300 ranking points, having surpassed top boxing powerhouses including USA and Cuba, which are ranked fourth and ninth respectively in the current standings.
Kazakhstan (48,100) is the top-ranked nation followed by Uzbekistan (37,600).
Indian boxing has witnessed an unprecedented rise in recent years with the teams consistently finishing amongst the top five countries at global multi-nation tournaments such as World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
In the last two CWG, the Indian boxers have won an unprecedented 16 medals and . They have 140 medals to their names since 2008 in top international events.
Since 2016, the Indian boxers have won 16 Elite World Championships medals across men and women categories.
Boxing Federation of India (BFI) have also hosted several big-ticket international events in the country and from March 15 to 26, they will organise the prestigious Women’s World Boxing Championships for the third time in the country.
India’s excellent show have also extended to the junior and youth level with 22 medals from the last two Youth World Championships indicating the sport’s bright future in the country.
“This is a milestone moment for India, BFI, its boxers and all the fans out there. From the 44th position a few years ago to third, Indian boxing has taken a giant leap,” BFI president Ajay Singh said in a media release.
“BFI has been working hard to fulfil the mission of making India a boxing powerhouse and it has ensured the best facilities for players across all age groups, helping them build confidence with regular state and national championships, foreign exposure trips and necessary support system.
“This ranking indicates India’s rapid growth as a boxing nation and also shows its strong position in the world which has been built over the last few years in a focused manner,” Singh added. (PTI)
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