The 5 greatest boxers to come out of India
India is the second biggest country in the world in terms of population. However, this number is expected to surpass that of China within the next couple of years. Due to the huge numbers of people that live in India, it has some of the finest sportspeople in their most popular sports. For example, Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricket players. India's most popular sport is cricket. If you're looking to place a bet on the outcome of a cricket match or any other sport - you can find a range of odds with online bookmakers. Today, we will look at some of the best boxers to have come out of India and how they rank in terms of greatness - this list will include amateur fighters who have achieved the top prizes. The amateur sport is commonly overlooked but contains some exceptional talent. Mary Kom You could make a decent case for Mary Kom as the greatest amateur in the history of women's boxing. Many would argue that Ireland's excellent Katie Taylor takes this prize, but Kom's achievements rank alongside the best, whichever way you look. Taylor has gone on to achieve stardom in the professional game too. Traditionally, the bigger weight classes have received more respect from the boxing public than the likes of the light flyweight division where Kom operated. However, her medal count is very impressive. She is the only Indian female boxer to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. She also holds this distinction in the Commonwealth Games, where she finished top of the podium in 2018. With an incredible six gold medals to her name at the World Championships, she ranks ahead of any other female boxer in terms of medal count at the World Championships. This is a truly phenomenal achievement that really cannot be understated. On top of this, she is the only Indian female boxer to have qualified for the Olympics, going on to win a bronze medal at the London 2012 Games in the flyweight division. Kavita Chahal Kavita hails from the Bhiwani district in India, a hotbed of boxing talent. Infamously, 75% of the Indian boxing team at one Olympics hailed from that same district. Chahal is a heavyweight of small and serious stature. She has medaled at tournaments all over the globe. This includes the World Championships and the World Police Games. In addition to this, she has also medaled at the Asian Women's Cup Boxing Tournament. Chahal might not have the same medal count as Kom. However, some analysts have argued that Chahal operated in a much better division. Despite only being 5 foot 9, she was an exceptional heavyweight who would regularly give the best fighters a tough bout. She has an immense collection of medals from her national tournaments and has been recognized as one of India's greatest female boxers. As more and more women get involved in professional boxing, their profile continues to increase. Bigger fights are being held in some of the most recognizable arenas on the planet. Just two decades ago, women's boxing was barely televised in many areas of Europe. For it to grow into a box office sport, it has shown just how far it has come. It doesn't look like this trend will slow down soon, and the Indian public will fondly remember this generation of female boxers for paving the way for the big stars of the future. Vijender Singh The first male boxer to appear on this list achieved superstardom in his homeland in 2008. Singh became the first Indian male boxer to win a boxing medal at the Olympics in Beijing. This catapulted him into the spotlight in his home nation – and deservedly so. His amateur career was glittering and he continued to go from strength to strength as he also medaled in the Commonwealth Games on three separate occasions, and the World Championships on one occasion. Singh then turned professional and signed with the American promotional company Top Rank. They promote some of the most recognizable fighters in the world, such as Vasyl Lomachenko and Tyson Fury. Fury holds the record for the highest live audience at a boxing match in the 21st century, after his fight against Dillian Whyte had an attendance of 94,000 at Wembley Arena in London. Signing with such a large promotional company raised a few eyebrows in the boxing fraternity, and people sat up and began to take notice. Unfortunately, his professional career hasn't quite taken off in the same blistering fashion as his amateur days. However, he did turn professional late and perhaps should have joined the paid ranks slightly earlier. That isn't to say he doesn't deserve his place on this list. His medal haul as an amateur and his star status makes him a no-brainer as one of the great Indian boxers – especially in the way he shone a spotlight on a sport that flies largely under the radar in India. Amit Panghal Panghal is the youngest boxer on our list. Like the first fighter on our list, Amit fights at the same weight as Mary Kom in the flyweight division. For this reason, he may be potentially overlooked in great Indian fighter lists, but he has set some impressive records. He became the first Indian boxer to win a silver medal at the World Championships, where the quality is of the highest possible standard. A string of impressive performances followed, and he went into the Tokyo Olympics as the top-rated fighter in his weight category in the world. He didn't perform to the standard he would have liked in the Olympics and failed to medal. This may have been due to his inexperience and because he was competing at his first Olympics. Despite this disappointment, he will be able to prove himself further at future tournaments. Despite his modest height, Panghal is a fantastic technician who does not look out of his depth when he takes on the other top fighters in his weight class. Although he may not have the same stacked medal cabinet as some of the other stellar operators on this list, the fact of the matter is that he will be remembered as one of the great Indian fighters of his generation and undoubtedly has a spot on this list. Dingko Singh The final fighter on our list is great because of the generation of Indian fighters he inspired. He brought himself notoriety and respect back home by winning India's first gold medal at the Asia games in nearly 20 years. The gold medal in this tournament and Singh's performance allegedly inspired Mary Kom to take up the sport. For this feat alone, Singh has earned his right to be considered one of the greatest Indian boxers. His medal record and competition performance may not be on the same level as the likes of Mary Kom. However, without Singh, Kom's career may not have even happened. The pivotal moment of his Asia games performance has had such a huge knock-on effect on Indian boxing that the extent of it may not ever truly be known.
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