Vijender on top of the world

For Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh, the fairytale doesn't seem to have an end in sight. Two weeks after he won India's first-ever medal at the World Boxing Championships in Milan, the Bhiwani boxer achieved yet another high in his career by fetching the number one rank with 2700 points in the middleweight category according to the latest list released by the international boxing federation (AIBA).

Current world champion Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan has been ranked third with 2100 points while Olympic silver medallist Emilio Correa of Cuba is second with 2500 points.

"It is a different feeling. No other Indian boxer has been ranked number one ever and it feels great to achieve yet another first for India. Being top seed at the world championships was a different thing. I will now concentrate on maintaining the top ranking," Vijender told The Indian Express.

Consistent show

The distinction has come after some consistent performances by the Indian boxer. After missing the 2008 World Cup, Singh made a confident comeback in June early this year by claiming a bronze at the Asian Boxing Championships at Zhuhai, China. In addition, there are many top-ranked boxers in Vijender's category who are either new entrants or have missed out on inter-continental meets.

Looking ahead

"My performances in the Asian Boxing Championships and World Boxing Championships have helped me achieve this feat. These events happen after two years and help one to gather more points. I want to maintain the spot and am eager to take part in more tournaments next season. I hope to play against the new boxers who have come into my category," said Vijender.

The Indian team will reassemble at NIS, Patiala on October 5 for the Commonwealth Games camp after a break of three weeks, and Singh is eager to restart his training schedule.

"We all are looking forward to training together. The next couple of months will be important as our focus will be on maintaining our fitness,"said Vijender.