CHENNAI: Amit Panghal (52kg) and Manish Kaushik (63kg) are in a position to reach a place no Indian has. Assuring themselves of a medal each by reaching semifinals of AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships, in Ekaterinburg, they will head into their biggest fights of their lives on Friday.
Another win and they become the first male boxers from India to make it to the event’s final. Before them, four had reached the semifinals and lost. Panghal and Kaushik have the chance to create history for the country.
Panghal faces a tricky proposition in the form of Saken Bibossinov. The Kazakh entered as an unknown face, but having shocked two accomplished boxers — European champ and Rio Olympic silver medallist — the 22-year-old has proven that he has in him what it takes to upset anyone on his day.
On the other hand, Panghal came in with a reputation and is seeded No 2 in the event. The manner in which the 23-year-old has dismantled his opponents round after round has shown that he is a man riding on confidence. It is something that the southpaw has gained from consistent returns in the last year or so.
“I just want them to maintain focus, keep doing what they have been doing so far. They have achieved the first goal of winning a medal but this is not over yet,” Santiago Nieva, India’s high performance director, said. The AIBA three star coach said his wards had light training sessions on Thursday.
Kaushik’s challenge seems even tougher. His opponent Andy Cruz Gomez from the boxing powerhouse of Cuba boasts a strong CV. His ability has been evident in his run thus far — he won all his three bouts by unanimous verdicts.
Kaushik, meanwhile, has punched above his weight. His eye-catching performance came against No 4 seed Baatarsukh Chinzorig in the pre-quarters, where he shocked the more-fancied Mongolian. “He (Andy) is one of the biggest names here. He has been a consistent performer, winning medals in major meets. He has plenty of experience and can throw hard punches. But Manish will be causing him problems. It will be an uphill task against Andy, but I definitely think it will be an interesting affair,” noted Nieva.
Panghal and Kaushik had recently moved up weight categories to try and live their Olympic dreams. Panghal moved from 49kg to 52kg in April, while Kaushik moved up from 60kg around the same period. And they have adapted well so far. “They have shown they can beat bigger and stronger opponents. The skill and boxing IQ they have displayed is amazing,” said Nieva.
Their skills will be put to the ultimate test on Friday.