Vijender Singh continues to be a history-maker for India. After creating ripples as an amateur, not many expected him to make as much of an impact in the pro boxing scene, but he has indeed proved his critics wrong. One win after another, Vijender has almost bossed every single bout he has gone into.
On Saturday, he defends his WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight title for the first time against Francis Cheka. The fight takes place at Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi.
Boxing in India hardly has any fans as almost every sport is overshadowed by cricket. However, good news is that internationally-famed sports are slowly and steadily getting their share of interest from Indians as well.
If boxing over the years has been getting oodles of popularity in India (in a positive way, we mean), thank the likes of Mary Kom and Vijender. Here's a look at the top boxers from India over the years.
1. Vijender Singh
Age: 31
Place of birth: Bhiwani, Haryana
Olympics medals: Bronze (2008)
Amateur awards:
World Championships
Bronze – 2009 Milan
Commonwealth Games
Silver - 2006 Melbourne
Bronze - 2010 Delhi
Silver - 2014 Glasgow
Asian Games
Gold – 2010 Guangzhou
Bronze – 2006 Doha
Asian championships
Silver - 2007
Bronze - 2009
Pro boxing record: 7-0-0
2. Mary Kom
Age: 33
Place of birth: Kangathei, Manipur
Olympics medals: Bronze (2012)
Amateur awards:
Asian Women's Boxing Championship
Gold – 2003 Hisar
Gold – 2005 Kaohsiung
Silver – 2008 Guwahati
Gold – 2010 Astana
Gold – 2012 Ulaanbaatar
Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
Silver – 2001 Scranton
Gold – 2002 Antalya
Gold – 2005 Podolsk
Gold – 2006 New Delhi
Gold – 2008 Ningpo City
Gold – 2010 Bridgetown
Asian Games
Bronze – 2010 Guangzhou
Gold – 2014 Incheon
3. Shiva Thapa
Age: 23
Place of birth: Guwahati, Assam
Olympics medals: None
Amateur awards:
Men's World Amateur Boxing Championships
Bronze - 2015 Doha
4. Akhil Kumar
Age: 35
Place of birth: Rohtak, Haryana
Olympics medals: None
Amateur awards:
Commonwealth Games
Gold - 2006 Melbourne
Asian Championships
Bronze - 2007 Ulan Bator
5. Hawa Singh
One of the most unknown male boxers from India, who remained a sensation during the 1960s and 1970s, Hawa Singh is the reason Indian stars like Vijender and Akhil have reached the pinnacle of boxing in India. The former heavyweight boxer established the now-world renowned Bhiwani Boxing Club (BBC) back in the 70s.
Born: December 1937
Died: August 2000
Place of birth: Bhiwani, Haryana
Amateur record:
Asian Games
Gold - 1966 Bangkok
Gold - 1970 Bangkok
Other accolades
11-time national champion
Arjuna award – 1966
Dronacharya award – 1999
