Amit Panghal
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2017-18
Devadyuti Das, Dharmendra fan Panghal basks in glory, September 5, 2018: The Times of India
Panghal defeated Rio Olympics gold medallist Hasanboy Dusmatov in the 49kg final, in sweet revenge for a loss he suffered to the same boxer in the World boxing championships quarterfinals in Hamburg last year. “I was really upset after missing out on a medal in the World championships after losing to Hasanboy. It was the first tournament in which I competed for India. I performed well in the Commonwealth Games this year, but got injured before the final. When I found out that I could face Hasanboy in the Asian Games, revenge was the only thing on my mind,” Panghal, who hails from a village called Mayana near Rohtak, said.
The 22-year-old southpaw has won medals for India in eight out of nine international tournaments since 2017, including silver in the 2018 CWG, gold at India Open in New Delhi and another gold at Strandja Memorial boxing tournament in Bulgaria this year. “If Vikas (Krishan) had played in the semis, he would have won his bout. But I was the last boxer standing, so there was some pressure. However, I had the confidence that if I managed to beat Hasanboy, it would be a big thing for the nation,” Panghal said about being the only Indian boxer to make it to the final round at the Asian Games.
The road to success has not been an easy one. Elder brother Ajay had to give up on his boxing dream and join the army so that Amit could pursue a career in the ring. “In my early days, since I was weak I couldn’t train hard. My brother Ajay and coach Dhanker introduced changes in my diet — I started to have more fruits and more non-veg food. In the morning I had fruit juice and one extra roti. More vegetables and fruits followed for lunch. For dinner I started having more and more chicken. Power coupled with speed is very useful in this weight category,” he said.
2018
STAN RAYAN, September 2, 2018: The Hindu
From: STAN RAYAN, September 2, 2018: The Hindu
He had watched Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov’s videos very closely, soaking in plenty of lessons. And when Amit Panghal met the Uzbek in the 49kg boxing final on Saturday, he knew exactly what to do.
He kept staying out of his famed opponent’s reach. A smart defensive strategy and some telling punches towards the end saw Amit shock Dusmatov with a split verdict and take the gold in his maiden Games.
The 22-year-old Armyman’s title was India’s lone gold in boxing here and only the country’s eighth in the sport at the Asiad. Vikas Krishan was the only other boxing medallist for the country here. Dusmatov had won the Val Barker Trophy — awarded to the outstanding boxer at the Olympics by AIBA — in Rio and was also the Worlds silver medallist.
The Indian was evasive and was ducking nicely and when Dusmatov could not land his punches properly, he appeared a bit desperate as the seconds ticked by.
With Amit taking the first round and the Uzbek the next, the final round became a hot affair. Amit landed a hard right to Dusmatov’s face and a little later, another hard blow on his opponent’s forehead. The Uzbek tried to throw a lethal left hook and then a right but he was only punching air as Amit stepped back just in time.
“He is a southpaw. So, we had prepared for this bout by watching a lot of his videos, studying his techniques and shortcomings,” said Amit, the son of farmer.
Uzbekistan topped with five golds while China (two golds) was second. India was fourth with a gold and a bronze.
Gold at the Asiad
Father Wants Boxer Son To Target Olympic Medal Now
“Throwing in the towel.” It’s a term familiar to boxers, but it doesn’t exist in Amit Panghal’s dictionary. The neversay-die spirit was ingrained in him right from childhood.
Amit, who hails from Maina village in Haryana’s Rohtak district, is the son of a farmer. His father, Vijender Singh, owns just one acre of land where he tills wheat and millet. The financial condition of the family was never healthy, as a result of which Amit’s elder brother Ajay Panghal had to give up his boxing dreams.
“Till 2011, our financial condition was very bad. The yield from our land wasn’t great. The earning was just enough to feed the family. I was also into boxing and was training under coach Anil Dhankar so that I could become an international boxer. But our family situation meant I had to quit boxing. I joined the Indian Army in 2011 at the rank of a Naib so there was a steady flow of income. But I made sure Amit didn’t quit boxing because I knew he had the potential to reach the top,” said Ajay Panghal, Amit’s elder brother.
Such was Amit’s passion and dedication towards the sport that he practised with bare hands for more than six months — his boxing gloves were in a tattered condition and he didn’t have money to buy new ones. “There was a time when Amit didn’t have boxing gloves for more than a six-month period. His old gloves were in tatters and we didn’t have the money to buy new ones, which would have cost nearly Rs 3,000. Such was his dedication that he practised with his bare hands, but didn’t give up,” remembered Ajay, adding, “Proper diet is very important for a boxer’s growth, and that is something Amit always lacked. He still managed to defeat bigger and more formidable boxers in his teens. At times, he fought bouts on an empty stomach and won. Inside the ring, he has always been technically impressive.”
Amit is a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and is ranked as Naib Subedar with the Indian Army. He started boxing in 2006. His father now wants him to focus on getting an Olympic medal. “The Asiad gold is just a stepping stone. Every sacrifice that our family has made is for an Olympic medal. The medals that he wins in between will boost his confidence, and give him the necessary experience that is required to win a medal at the Olympic stage. Winning an Olympic medal is the ultimate target, not only for him but for all of us,” said Amit’s father Vijender Singh.
2019
Asian gold despite fever
Amit Kumar, April 27, 2019: The Times of India
How boxer Amit Panghal overcame fever to win gold at Asian Championships
NEW DELHI: "Gold hi jeetna tha desh ke liye, bhaisaab (Had to win gold for my country)," boxer Amit Panghal told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview from Bangkok after winning a gold medal at the Asian Boxing Championships.
Panghal, who had won the Asian Games gold medal last year, defeated Korea's Kim Inkyu by unanimous decision to claim the top honours.
Incredibly, Panghal punched his way to gold despite being down with high fever. A sleepless night a day before his final bout is something Amit will perhaps never forget.
"I was down with fever. I was struggling to sleep. I want to thank my team's physio Rohit Kashyap sir who gave me motivation and kept checking on me the entire night. He was coming into my room every two hours and asking about my condition. He said 'you are a champion boxer, you will win the gold for sure'. That's what pumped me up for the final bout," Panghal said.
"I was down but didn't give up. I had decided I will give my life for the gold," Panghal, who had come into the tournament on the back of a gold at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in February told TimesofIndia.com.
"I can't express my feeling. I am very happy that I have made my country proud. I will continue to do this in the future as well," Panghal said.
The 2017 edition of the Asian Championships saw Panghal winning the bronze medal (in 49kg) but this time the 23-year-old, who was participating in his maiden international competition since moving up to the 52kg category from 49kg earlier this year, claimed the top prize in style.
Panghal had to change his weight category to 52kg because the 49kg category has been dropped from the Olympic programme for the Tokyo 2020 edition.
"It is not easy to change the weight category. It requires a lot of hard work. We need to put in extra training, plan and make strategies for the new category," Panghal said.
"52 kg is more challenging than 49 kg. I am short in height. Indian boxers are not that tall. In 52kg category, if you look at the other boxers (from other countries), they are tall. So I had to do a lot of weight training and work on my reach," Panghal explained.
"I discussed this with senior boxers who have fought in the 52kg category and watched videos of world-class boxers after they shifted to new weight categories," he said.
Panghal has his eyes set now on the World Boxing Championships, to be held in September this year.
"The World Championship will be the quota place tournament for the Indian boxers. I am promising I will win the gold there as well. I want to win the first quota place in 52kg for my country," a confident Panghal told TimesofIndia.com.
India have won two medals in boxing in the Olympics so far. Vijender Singh won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while MC Mary Kom bagged a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Panghal is confident that he can win a gold medal for India in Tokyo.
"We have two Olympic medals in boxing. Our stars Vijender bhai and Mary Kom have made the country proud. I want to win the gold medal for India in Tokyo. This is my ultimate dream," Panghal signed off.
