A look at Amit Panghal's qualification for Paris Olympics 2024

Published at :June 10, 2024 at 2:05 AM

Modified at :July 24, 2024 at 6:35 AM

(Courtesy : @India_AllSports/X)

Amit Panghal will make his second successive appearance at the Olympics.

Amit Panghal has qualified for the Olympics for the second consecutive time. The 28-year-old southpaw who hails from Haryana secured his spot by winning the quota after reaching the semi-finals of the World Boxing Olympic Qualifier 2 in the men’s 51kg category. He defeated Liu of China by a unanimous decision (5-0) in the quarter-finals to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

The 2019 World Championships silver medalist Amit usually struggles with stamina and falters in the third round against an opponent who is more attacking. However, one could see at this tournament that Panghal made a comeback after trailing in the first round and did well in the third round, preserving his energy. Amit, who has won Asian Games and Championships gold earlier, will surely be one of the best bets for India to win a medal at the Paris Olympics.

How did Amit Panghal qualify for the Paris Olympics?

Amit Panghal began his campaign with a shaky start in the Round of 32 against Mauricio Ruiz of Mexico. After trailing in the first round he made a good comeback in the next two rounds to win the match. In the Round of 16, which was a rematch of the 2019 Asian Championships final, Amit defeated Kim In-kyu of Korea by a unanimous decision (5-0) to reach the quarter-finals.

In the quota bout, Panghal once again was behind in the first round but made a superb comeback against Liu of China to take the next two rounds and the match, thus securing the quota place.

Amit Panghal’s journey to Paris Olympics

The journey to Paris was never easy. Amit lost to his compatriot Deepak Bhoria in the national trials and was also out of form for quite some time. As a result, Deepak was sent to the World Championships, Asian Games and Olympic Qualifier 1 ahead of the experienced pugilist.

The dream of playing another Olympics was looking slim for Panghal, as Bhoria proved his worth by winning the World Championships bronze medal. However, Deepak didn’t utilize the two opportunities during the Asian Games and Olympic Qualifier 1 and failed to win the quota. It was then that Amit got the chance and he didn’t disappoint his fans.

Before his quota stint, Panghal played at the Strandja Memorial Boxing tournament and won the gold medal there in the men’s 51kg category. In this Olympic cycle, Amit won the silver medal at the Thailand Open 2022, losing to Rogen Ladon of the Philippines, who is the 2018 Asian Games silver medalist by a split decision (2-3). He also won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the same category, defeating Kiaran MacDonald of Great Britain by a unanimous decision (5-0).

Performance at past Olympics

Amit Panghal qualified for the 2020 Olympics and was the No. 1 seed in Tokyo. The expectations were high for him to win a medal. He was also one of the strong contenders for the gold medal. However, he lost to the 2016 Rio silver medalist Yuberjen Martínez of Colombia by a split decision (1-4).

Panghal started the bout aggressively and took the opening round with ease. However, he couldn’t maintain his stamina in the next two rounds and lost the match. This was a major setback in his career. However, Amit would like to not to repeat the same mistake in Paris and win a medal for his country this time around.

Major Highlights of his career

2019 World Championships silver medalist.
2018 Asian Games gold medalist.
2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist.
2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist.
2017 Asian Championships bronze medalist.
2021 Asian Championships silver medalist.
2019 Asian Championships gold medalist.
Strandja Cup – Three gold medals.
Arjuna Awardee.
First Indian boxer to win silver medal at World Championships in 2019.
Governor’s Cup bronze medal.
Thailand Open silver medal.

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