CHENNAI: From a sports facility in a government school in Haryana to podium in Glasgow, it has been an incredible journey for young pugilist Ankush Panghal. On Friday, his combination of punches rattled his Canadian opponent so much that by the time the final bell rang, there was no ambiguity on the decision. In the red corner, the southpaw stood with a clenched fist and a smile.
The way things have panned out at the Commonwealth Games this edition, Indian boxers have had one incredible run so far. Ankush (men's 80kg) was one of the Indians who stood out on the day as he outclassed Joshua Ofori to earn himself a chance to take a shot at gold.
One of the young faces in the team, Ankush has had a rapid rise ever since he took up the sport nine years ago. Like many from Haryana, considered a cradle of boxing, Ankush's tale is also about grit, discipline. A boxer with humble roots who has exploded to the scene in recent months to become one of the talents to keep a close eye on.
When he got initiated to the sport at the age of 11, the facilities were bare minimum. He used to train at a government school at Gangwa village in Hisar under the close watch of Pradeep Sawant. A ring was a far cry. Kits were basic but what he had in abundance was discipline and immense hunger to learn and grow. "Even now I don't have a boxing ring, I just train them just like that. It is like an open ground. I have 24 students at the moment," the coach said.
"He was a highly keen student. He has always had good grasping power. He used to pick up stuff fast. He became a national champion (school nationals (U-14) for the first time when he was just 14."
That success helped him land a monthly stipend under Khelo India scheme. Then he went on to do well in nationals and internationals (junior, youth) before capturing medals at the World Cup finals and senior nationals. Now he has more support as Olympic Gold Quest takes care of his needs and he's also part of the Army Sports Institute, where he gets top-class coaching and training.
And he seems to be making full use of his available resources. The 20-year-old might be one of the debutants in the competition but with three 5-0 Ws in the campaign so far, the southpaw has operated like a seasoned pro. He had made his senior debut just last year and now he's on the cusp of gold. "Even when he made his first appearance in a state-level competition, he never fazed despite facing good-level opponents," Pradeep remarked. "He never used to care about his opponents. He would just listen to instructions and would just give his 100 per cent."
The first person to observe a spark in him was his father Manoj Kumar, a farmer in Bherian village, Hisar district, where they belong. "He was devoted and highly disciplined and he had shown signs of doing well from the very beginning," Manoj said. Manoj, a former state-level kabaddi player, has sacrificed a great deal for his four children, including Ankush, and he's just happy to witness his son gradually reap the rewards. "It would get tough sometimes as I have four kids, three daughters and one son and all of them were involved in sports. Whatever I was earning, I was spending on their needs. But we were not struggling or anything, our conditions were quite good at home. My farming activities were going well but my expenses on their requirements were quite high," he said.
"But he worked really hard and he got rewarded today," he added. Interestingly, Manoj revealed that Ankush had initially followed his footsteps, taking up kabaddi and he had even displayed some form of promise. "The sport is in the blood of many youngsters here. He was quite keen from the start itself. He was doing alright (kabaddi) and he also had a gold medal in school-level competition in the state, when he was studying in fifth standard. That's when I moved him to boxing. As boxing is an individual sport, I felt he could do something for himself. In team sport, you are dependent on the team."
As Ankush stamped his biggest victory of his career so far, the young trainees, all wide-eyed, at Pradeep's training facility were closely watching their senior with amazement. "It's a happy environment right now. They burst firecrackers after the victory," Pradeep said with a tone filled with satisfaction. On Saturday, Ankush will have a chance to make it even bigger. He will face Dimeji Shittu of England in the gold-medal match.