CHENNAI: AMIT Panghal showed his might to enter the Asian Boxing Championship final and remain on course to defend his title. Panghal (52 kg), who has taken his game a few notches up in the last few years, displayed tactical nous to keep Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov, his semifinal opponent on Friday, at bay and land some solid punches, thereby earning the crucial votes from the judges by the ringside.
The result was a repeat of the 2019 World Championships, where Panghal had downed Bibossinov to win a historic silver medal. The Haryana boxer will take on reigning Olympic and world champ Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan.
Later in the day, two-time Olympian Shiva Thapa also put up a strong show to enter the final in the 64 kg category. Thapa defeated top seed and defending champ Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan 4-0.