The Indian contingent at the 2023 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships scripted history on Tuesday, 10 May, by confirming three medals. This achievement marks India’s best-ever showing at the competition, having never won three medals in a solitary edition previously.
The first pugilist to confirm a medal for India was Deepak Bhoria, who is competing in the flyweight (51kg) category. Having won the first three bouts comfortably, recording a 5-0 margin in each match, he extended his flawless streak by breezing past Kyrgyzstan’s Nurzhigit Diushabaev by the same margin.
Mohammad Hussamuddin, who won bronze medals at the Asian Boxing Championships and Commonwealth Games last year, was the second to assure a medal, albeit the road to the semi-finals was not as smooth for him. The 29-year-old faced a stern test from Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez, but eventually managed to emerge with a hard-fought 4-3 triumph in the featherweight (57kg) category.
In the light middleweight category (71kg), Nishant Dev secured India’s third medal. Like Deepak, he too extended his streak of 5-0 victories to a fourth instalment – beating Cuba’s Jorge Cuellar in a comprehensive fashion.
India’s Best Campaign
In the light middleweight category (71kg), Nishant Dev secured India’s third medal. Like Deepak, he too extended his streak of 5-0 victories to a fourth instalment – beating Cuba’s Jorge Cuellar in a comprehensive fashion.
With three medals assured, India’s medal tally in this competition rises to double figures. Olympic medallist Vijender Singh became the first Indian to win a World Boxing Championships medal, back in 2009, followed by Vikas Krishnan in 2011. In the previous edition, Akash Kumar was the nation’s solitary medallist.
List of Indian medallists at the Men's World Boxing Championships:
1: Vijender Singh, Bronze – 2009
2: Vikas Krishan, Bronze – 2011
3: Shiva Thapa, Bronze – 2015
4: Gaurav Bidhuri, Bronze – 2017
5: Manish Kaushik, Bronze – 2019
6: Amit Panghal, Silver – 2019
7: Akash Kumar, Bronze – 2021
8: Deepak Bhoria, Bronze* – 2023
9: Mohammad Hussamuddin, Bronze* – 2023
10: Nishant Dev, Bronze* – 2023
(*Deepak Bhoria, Mohammad Hussamuddin and Nishant Dev are assured at least the bronze medal, although, they will now compete in the semi-final on 12 May).
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