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?
This story is from the October 19, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the October 19, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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