Amit Panghal on top of the world,

World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal (52kg) rose to the pinnacle in International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Boxing Task Force ahead of next month’s Olympic Qualifiers. The achievement made him the first Indian pugilist in over a decade to accomplish the global top position since Vijender Singh did it in 2009 following his 75kg bronze win at the World Championships.

The 24-year-old Panghal, who bagged the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, has 420 points against his name in the list released by the IOC Boxing Task Force. Panghal, one of India’s best bets at Tokyo, continued his stellar run to win a historic silver at the World Championships to add to his gold from the Asian Championships.

Among the Indian women, two-time World Championships bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain is the highest-ranked boxer, who holds the third position in 69kg. Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom occupies the fifth spot in the 51kg category while World Championships silver medallist Sonia Chahal is placed at 10th in women’s 57kg. Asian Championships silver medallist Kavinder Singh Bisht is the only other Indian to secure a top-10 ranking at seventh in men’s 57kg.