CWG: Amit Panghal wins boxing gold, beats Kiaran McDonald

The athlete was in total control in the gold medal match.

Amit Panghal silenced the masses with his fourth consecutive unanimous decision victory in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The men’s 51kg flyweight category was completely dominated from start to finish by Amit. 

Amit used the ring better than Macdonald in the first round. His trademark quick punches and ability to switch stance made the Englishman stagger and lose his balance. The boxer managed a clean sweep of 10-9s in the first round. He streaked ahead with a narrow lead in the second round, impressing with ability to turn defence into attack. He used a quick series of punches and accurately punching his way out of trouble, handing Macdonald a nose bleed. Amit was easy on the eye with his combinations. 

Dominant display

The third round was all about the Indian’s boxing smarts, mainly his fight management and energy conservation. He picked his moments to attack perfectly, winning comfortably by UD 30-17 30-27 29-28 30-27 29-28. 

Amit outboxed Zambian Patrick Chinyemba in the semi-finals, stringing together a cracking series of rounds. The Indian’s frightening speed and sneaky jabs have held him in good stead. The 26-year-old from Rohtak, Haryana is a Subedar (an Indian Army Junior Commissioned Officer) 

In last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Amit’s heartbreaking loss to Columbian Yeburjen Martinez came as a shock and prompted a complete reset. He spent the following two months with Anil Dhankar, his childhood coach. 

Amit’s impressive catalogue of medals include bronze in the 2017 Tashkent Asian Championships and gold in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, which gave him the top seeding in the men’s 52 kgs category. Amit goes one better than the silver he bagged in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He then won silver in the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships and gold in the Bangkok Asian Championships the same year. 

After a slight detour in his otherwise wrinkle-less career until the Tokyo Olympics, Amit Panghal is firmly back on track. The lack of Olympics medals in men’s boxing put incredible pressure on Amit to take the world by storm. The men’s junior boxing categories are a constant revolving door, with new boxers always making the most of their opportunities. Staying in the sharp end of the flyweights is rarely achieved, and Amit’s longevity at the top has to be marvelled at. He has learnt how to manage expectations, and the results are already bearing fruit.