Focus on strong start & endurance: Olympic-bound boxer Amit

After making Paris cut in Bangkok, former World No 1 hopeful of getting permission to train under personal coach
Amit Panghal is one of the two male pugilists from India who'll be taking part in the Paris Olympics
Amit Panghal is one of the two male pugilists from India who'll be taking part in the Paris Olympics(Photo | BFI)
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CHENNAI : Boxer Amit Panghal was at the peak of his prowess heading into the Tokyo Olympics. With experience, he had displayed his problem-solving abilities inside the ring to outwit some of the best in the business in his weight division (51kg). The fact that he was the No 1 seed going into that event was a clear indicator. However, what unfolded was nothing short of a disaster as he was shown the dreaded exit door in his very first bout (second round).

In the aftermath, he was facing an existential crisis. After occupying the coveted World No 1 spot, he was very quickly reduced to India No 2. That narrative persisted for most of this ongoing Olympic cycle and it was only natural that his confidence was taking a hit.

"What can I say... I was not getting a chance. I could only mull over it, 'what am I lacking, what can I do to represent my country and return with a medal.' I just used to get lost in thoughts, what else could I have done then?," he said, while reflecting on the testing times post Tokyo Games.

The Indian think-tank had moved on while the Haryana pugilist was left aside to lick his wounds. There was a clash of ideas as Amit wanted to mend his tried and tested methods that had fetched him medals at all levels, including a silver medal at the World Championships while the coaches at the national camp wanted something else. "Sometimes, I used to get upset as well. It was demotivating," he said.

Despite the negativity surrounding him, he continued to train. But three years after the Tokyo misfortune, Amit is set for another shot at the Olympics after having qualified for Paris Games in the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok just a few days back. It's clear that the setback is still fresh in his mind.

"This up and down tends to happen in sports. My target was to qualify for the Olympics and win a medal. That target is nearer now. Now, I'll try my best to win a medal for our country," he noted.

As compared to Tokyo, there's a different kind of energy this time as he looks to the future. Older and more mature, the 28-year-old is aware he doesn't have much time to make wholesale tweaks in his game.  He's focussing on other aspects of his game at the moment.

"The first bout tends to be difficult for me. If I get through, my body tends to get tuned to the demands. I'm working on that. I just want to ensure that I can get through the initial hurdle in a strong manner," he said.
"I have improved my endurance and made many other changes as well," he added.

Personal coach for prep
During the rainy days, it was his family and personal coach, Anil Dhankar, who refused to lose faith in his ability to perform at the highest level. Amit is now hopeful of getting a chance to train under his coach until the start of the Olympics. "My family and my coach have always been there by my side. My coach was attending my training just before the qualifiers as well.

"I didn't get the permission to train with him then. Now, I'll seek permission from BFI and SAI to train under his watch until the Olympics. If they allow it, it will be a massive boost for me and I guess my game will also witness big improvements."

Amit is leaving nothing to chance and he's also had coaching lessons from legendary coach BI Fernandez. "He's very experienced and has trained Olympians in the past. He has plenty of knowledge about world boxing in general. So I continue to train with him whenever I get the chance. Even if I can add a small thing in my game, that'll be of massive help."

The Tokyo setback and the period of toil that followed is bound to make Amit more determined as he looks to re-write a better story this time. 

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