Punia first Indian to be ranked World No 1

​New Delhi: Bajrang Punia, who got a silver medal in the World Championships at Budapest last month, is ranked No 1 in the world in his weight category, according to the ranking chart released by the United World Wrestling on Saturday. 

Punia who competes in Freestyle 65 kg class, thus became the first Indian to be ranked as the top wrestler by the world body which, for the first time, introduced a seeding system in world championships during the Budapest event. 

Punia was seeded No 3, again a first for any Indian wrestler. "I am happy about the ranking because it reflects India's overall growth in wrestling. But the real celebration for me will be when I become the Olympic champion," Punia said in a statement.