Sabari J, Australasia Champion & WBC India Champion is only 3rd Indian to ever enter the WBC World Rankings.
Pune, 12 June 2022: In what could be termed as a shot in the arm for Pro boxing, Indian boxer and current Australasia Champion Sabari Jaishankar has made it to the ranking chart issued by the Word Boxing Council (WBC).
The welterweight boxer, who beat Australian champion boxer Michael Pengue for the WBC Australasia title earlier this month, has been ranked 36th by the world body in their latest monthly rankings.
At present, Sabari is the only Indian to make way into the world rankings and overall, only the third Indian after Olympic medallist Vijender (World Boxing Organization rankings) and Neeraj Goyat (WBC) featuring in the list in 2016.
The Tamil Nadu boxer, who had knocked out the ‘Punisher’ in the eighth round of his Australasia title bout, said the ranking will only encourage him to move higher.
“When I fought for the Australasia title bout, there was nobody to cheer me up in the stadium. But as I progressed to the third round, the crowd started supporting me. Likewise, I feel that entering in the ranking will help me get more international fights and exposure, which will only help me gain more experience,” Sabari said.
The boxer is targeting the WBC Asia title next. “This is only the beginning. I have achieved one task and now I am looking to win the Asia title,” he said.
President of the Indian Boxing Council, the governing body for Professional boxing in India, Brigadier PKM Raja said it was a proud moment for all Indians.
“He (Sabari) is the only Indian in the rankings and it shows how big the achievement is. Sabari has worked hard to reach here, and I am sure he won’t stop here. It is not easy to get into the WBC rankings, so he should work harder to stay there by winning more fights,” Brigadier Raja said.
