Amit Panghal — the first Indian male boxer to win a silver medal at the World Championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia — not only spearheaded the country’s most successful campaign at the elite event but also raised India’s hopes of a boxing medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
As he prepares for the Asian Olympic qualifiers in Wuhan, China, in February, and then for the Olympics, the 23-year-old Amit, who competes in the 52kg class, looks at the positives and shortcomings in his performance in the World Championships, while trying to emerge as a better boxer. Panghal took some time out from his busy schedule to speak to Sportstar about his World Championships campaign, the road ahead and other things.
Excerpts:
How do you look back at your World Championships performance, where you became the first Indian male boxer to bag a silver medal?
This is the best competition of my life so far and I learned a lot from this event. I made history for the country. Because of the high level of performance I gave, I have grown in confidence and it is going to help me when I complete in future tournaments. Now, I feel like I can beat any top boxer in the world.
What happened in the final? Did you make some mistakes or was the opponent stronger?
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