It was a mission fulfilled when Amit Panghal defeated Chinese boxer Liu Chuang by unanimous decision in the World Boxing Olympic Qualification Competition in Bangkok. The highly sought-after quota for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris was confirmed.
He was unable to compete for a long time due to a modified policy decision, even though he had won the Commonwealth Gold in 2022. Pangal would have breathed a sigh of relief at making the Olympic roster after being passed over because of his bad results at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
For his brother, Amit Panghal, Ajay has embraced the spirit of the song “I Got You Brother.”
Growing up, Amit Panghal didn’t have much. Amit and his brother Ajay Panghal, who are from a farming family in Rohtak, Haryana, practically boxed their way out of misery. Amit’s career was greatly influenced by his brother Ajay, who was also an amateur boxer and served as an inspiration to him. As a havildar in the Indian Army, Ajay shaped Amit’s career and has always been a source of support. Ajay, in memory of his younger brother Amit Panghal, has captured the essence of the song “I Got You Brother.”
Moment that defines a career
Amit Panghal enrolled at Chhoturam Boxing Academy after his brother Ajay started training there. He rose quickly through the younger ranks under the guidance of coach Anil Dhankar. Amit was aware about his height when he faced taller boxers, but he eventually made the most of that uncertainty by standing his ground. He has always compensated for his physical disadvantage with lightning-fast blows.
Amit Panghal , with his hard commitment, began with a bang, earning gold in his maiden nationals in 2017. This success carried over to the international scene, as he earned a bronze medal in the light flyweight event at the Asian Championships in Tashkent the same year.
Although Amit won back-to-back medals in national and international events, he believes his loss against Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan, the Rio 2016 light flyweight gold medalist, in the quarterfinals of the 2017 world championships to be a career-defining moment that transformed him as a fighter. After a poor showing in the first World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament in Italy, Indian boxer Amit Panghal re-entered the circuit after Bernard Dunne resigned.
Amit Panghal was selected by BFI to join the national team at a camp in Thailand before the Paris Olympics qualification tournament. However, he chose to stay behind to train under his childhood coach Anil Dhankar and India’s chief boxing coach BI Fernandes. Amit Panghal regained his confidence and physical fitness.
In the final bout against China’s Liu Chuang, he faced a jittery start but bounced back in round 2. In round 3, he cemented his authority and booked his ticket to Paris, demonstrating his potential to compete in the Olympics.
Amit Panghal, known as the “Ghost of Tokyo,” made a dream run to the Tokyo Olympics by defeating Carlo Paalom in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Boxing Qualifiers, winning a gold medal at the Cologne World Cup, and earning a silver medal at the 2021 Asian Championship.
However, his dream came to an end when he lost his opening bout against Yuberjen Martinez of Colombia, the Rio 2016 medalist. Despite this, Panghal quickly redeemed himself by winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 in the 51 kg flyweight division against Kiaran MacDonals of England. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) continues to haunt him and his journey to the Olympics.
Creating History
2019 was a memorable year not only for Amit Panghal, but for the entire Indian boxing society as he made history by being the first Indian boxer to make the World Boxing Championship final. Until Amit, no other Indian had made it to the final. Previous Indian medalists in the event have earned bronze, include Vijender Singh (2009), Vikas Krishan (2011),.
Shiva Thapa (2015), Gaurav Bidhuri (2017), and Manish Kaushik (2019). Amit settled for silver after losing his last battle to Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan at the competition in Yekaterinburg, Russia. According to the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) rankings, Amit also rose to world number one after putting on a fantastic performance in his weight class in the tournament.
Luck Favors
The courageous Amit Panghal’s return to the arena has been fraught with dangers. After the disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics and the snub caused by the system change, Amit needed to maintain his composure and embrace the chance when it presented itself. He stayed brave and patient till fortune rewarded him. Now, he has the opportunity to lay the ghosts of Tokyo to rest and come back with a medal from the Paris Olympics.
Author: Tania Mukherjee
Tania Mukherjee is an author. Immersing herself in the world of Entertainment and expressing her thoughts along with her feelings through the power of the written word. With a deep passion for writing, she finds solace and fulfillment in conveying her ideas to others.
