Despite India being a cricket crazy nation where almost all people focus on just one sport collectively. Many other sports deserve our full attention as they have some great people associated with it who can make every Indian proud by bringing many laurels to our country. One such sport is Boxing, a sport played in India for quite some time and has many successful athletes associated with it. Let us have a look at the nation’s best boxers of all time:
10. Mohamed Ali Qamar – India’s first gold medal winner in the Commonwealth Games 2002, Mohamed Ali Qamar was a very tough boxer at his time. He caught attention early on when he won the Inter-district championship in West Bengal in 1991. Sadly, his career was cut short due to frequent injuries. He was appointed as the chief coach of Indian Woman’s boxing last year.
9. Shiv Thapa – Shiv Thapa has been an inspiration to many and has given the Indian team many good performances over the years. At 26 years of age, he has already participated in two World Championships, two Asian Championships, one Asian Games, one Commonwealth Games, and the Olympics in 2012. He also won a gold medal at the Asian Championship in 2015, a silver medal at the Youth Olympics in 2010, and a bronze at the Worlds in 2015.
8. Dingko Singh – The story of Dingko Singh is nothing but inspirational. Having been raised in an orphanage due to his parents’ poor condition, he was scouted by the Sports Authority of India by a scheme they initiated over there. He won the Sub Junior national Boxing Championship when he was 10 at Ambala, Punjab. He has won a gold medal at the Asian Games in 1998 and the King’s Cup in 1997 in Bangkok. He is an Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee as well.
7. Vikas Krishnan Yadav – 28-year-old Vikas Krishnan Yadav has been a consistent performer for India. He first sprung on to the main stage when he won the gold medal in the 2010 Asian Youth Boxing Championship in Tehran, Iran. He won a Bronze medal in Summer Youth Olympic in 2010 and bronze in the Asian Games in 2014. Last year, he became the first male boxer from India to claim gold medals at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games (gold).
6. Akhil Kumar – Known as the Rocky Balboa of Indian boxing, Akhil Kumar has brought many cheers to the Indian boxing fans. He has won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2006. Keeping his form, he also bagged bronze in Asian Championships 2007. The boxer also brought home a bronze during the 2008 Olympics. All in all, the name does suit him right.
5. Hawa Singh – Not a familiar name for this generation, but Hawa Singh has been an essential part of Indian boxing. He was such a dominant force in his time in all of Asia. He was the player to beat, which was evident as he won the National Championships eleven years in a row from 1961 to 1972. He’s also the founder of the Bhiwani Boxing Academy, which has produced boxers like Vijender Singh. He has won the Arjuna Award in 1966 and the Dronacharya award in 1999 as well.
4. Devendro Singh – Two-time Asian championship medallist Devendro Singh has also been a vital player for the Indian Boxing team. He also has a Commonwealth Games silver medal to him, which he won in 2014. He is currently coaching the Services Boxing team at Army Sports Institute, Pune.
3. Laishram Sarita Devi – Arjuna Awardee Sarita Devi has been nothing but an inspiration for all the women boxers worldwide. She is a former world champion and a 4-time Asian champion as well. She has spent a long 15 years inside the ring, motivating many people in her path.
2. Vijender Singh – The first Indian to win an Olympic medal in boxing, Vijender Singh has a very inspirational story, coming from a poor background and bagging a bronze medal at the topmost sporting event there is. He is currently the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Champion and WBO Oriental Super Middleweight Champion as well.
1. MC Mary Kom – Mary Kom is the greatest Indian Boxer of all time without a doubt. She has bagged almost everything there is available in women’s boxing. Six-time World Champion Mary is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics and winning the bronze medal. Mary Kom is the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 at Incheon, South Korea. She is the first Indian woman boxer to claim gold glory at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Impossible is nothing for her, and she is the living motivation for every little girl who wants to conquer the world.
Written By
Shashwat Nishant
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