Indian boxers created history on Wednesday as three of them, Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Hussamuddin (57kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) progressed into the semifinals, assuring the country of a medal each, in the ongoing IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
It was the first time that India had guaranteed three medals at the prestigious events.
While the boxers continue their quest for gold, we recap to 2009 when Vijender Singh became the first Indian to medal at the men's boxing world championships.
When did Vijender win India's first medal?
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Vijender had scripted history by becoming the first boxer to win a medal at the Olympics. A semi-final finish at the Olympics had seen him clinch a bronze.
The boxer from Bhiwani recorded another first a year later when he won India's first medal at the men's boxing World Championship in Milan.
The middleweight boxer went down 3-7 to Uzbekistan’s Abbos Atoev, who was the eventual champion, in the semi-finals to settle for a bronze.
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Whom did Vijender beat en route the bronze finish?
The Indian began his campaign with the round of 32. In the opening bout, he defeated Azamat Belgibayev of Kazakhstan 14-8.
Vijender then eked out a 4-2 win over Canadian boxer Steve Rolls and scored a stunning 12-4 win over Ukraine's Sergiy Derevyancheko in the quarterfinals to assure India of a medal.
What did Vijender say of his world championship performance?
“The result is definitely disappointing for me, but I am happy to become the first Indian to win a medal,” the Indian said. “My opponent was very good and he was a deserving winner.”
In September that year, Vijender was top-ranked middleweight boxer in the world. He became the first Indian to rise to No 1 in boxing rankings, which were issued by the then world boxing governing body AIBA.
How many medals have India won in the history of the Boxing World Championships?
India have won 10 medals so far at the World Championships. Amit Phangal remains the only boxer to win silver and the rest have won bronze.
However, Deepak Bhori, Hussamuddin and Nishant Dev can take a step further and still create history.
| Year | Name | Medal |
| 2009 | Vijender Singh | Bronze |
| 2011 | Vikas Krishan | Bronze |
| 2015 | Shiva Thapa | Bronze |
| 2017 | Gaurav Bidhuri | Bronze |
| 2019 | Manish Kaushik | Bronze |
| 2019 | Amit Phangal | Silver |
| 2021 | Akash Kumar | Bronze |
| 2023 | Deepak Bhoria | Bronze |
| 2023 | Mohammad Hussamuddin | Bronze |
| 2023 | Nishant Dev | Bronze |
