New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS): India continue to take rapid strides in the boxing world as the country jumped to the third spot in the International Boxing Association's (IBA) latest world ranking.
The exceptional performances from its boxers saw India accumulate 36,300 ranking points, only behind Kazakhstan (48,100) and Uzbekistan (37,600). They have also surpassed top boxing powerhouse nations including countries like the USA and Cuba, which are ranked fourth and ninth respectively in the current standings.
"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 the third, Indian boxing has taken a giant leap. 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 systems," said Ajay Singh, President of Boxing Federation of India.
"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," said the BFI president.
Indian boxing has witnessed an unprecedented rise in recent years with the teams consistently finishing amongst the top 5 countries at global multi-nation tournaments such as World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. In the last two editions of the Commonwealth Games (CWG), Indian boxers have won an unprecedented 16 medals and Indian Boxers have had 140 medals to their names since 2008 in top international events.
Since 2016, Indian boxers have won 16 Elite World Championships medals across men's and women's categories. BFI has 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 India.
"Hosting big international tournaments play a crucial role in encouraging domestic growth of the sport as well as inspiring the next generation to take up the game. The world has already witnessed our hosting abilities with the Youth Women's World Boxing Championships in Guwahati in 2017 followed by the Elite Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi in 2018 and now we are set to organise the third World Elite Women Championships."
India's excellent show has also extended to the junior and youth level with 22 medals from the last two Youth World Championships indicating at a shining future for Indian boxing.