CHENNAI: On Friday, after making history by becoming the first Indian to reach World Championship final, pugilist Amit Panghal had posted on social media about his desire to become a world-beater and the hunger that drives him.
That drive was visible on Saturday during his fight against Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan, the reigning Olympic champion, in the final of the marquee event in Ekaterinburg, Russia. But it was not enough. The Haryana boxer ended his memorable campaign with a silver medal.
After a cautious start, Panghal (52kg) started unleashing his powerful left and right combination towards the close of the opening round. It looked like Zoirov, who had height advantage, had studied the Indian well.
The Uzbek kept the Indian at arm’s length throughout the bout with some sharp punches and it seemed like this was affecting the Indian’s game plan. He was trying to force the issue and break Zoirov’s defence, which looked impenetrable on the day.
“Don’t go crazy. You are so much faster. Don’t go too close, you need to take it easy and control the bout,” Santiago Nieva, India’s high-performance director, could be heard saying during the second-round break.
Panghal did land some good blows in the final round. But it proved to be too little too late as the Uzbek was adjudged 5-0 winner. The three-round bout was closer than the score suggested with the five ringside judges’ scores reading 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
“Zoirov fought very well, he controlled the proceedings. He was active and produced some good counterattacks. That first-round made a big difference, he won it big,” Nieva assessed.
Despite this tough experience, his historic run should spur him. The army man’s refusal to lower his guard over the years has shaped him into the boxer that he is today.
Years of hard work far away from prying eyes under the watchful eyes of coaches, especially national chief coach CA Kuttappa, has helped him develop that winner’s mentality.
“Nobody likes to lose. Panghal is so used to winning and always sets the bar high for himself. He will be disappointed,” Nieva said.
The last time Panghal had found himself on the losing side in an international meet was April 2018 when he lost to Galal Yafai of England in the Commonwealth Games final.
Having moved to 52 kg just recently, Panghal has been dealing with bigger opponents. What he lacks in size, he makes up with his lightning speed, agility and mental fortitude.
But as this setback depicts, he’s still got a room for improvement and Nieva’s next focus is to add variety to his game.