Amit Panghal eyes golden redemption at CWG

Amit Panghal is finally at peace. He still doesn't fancy public gatherings or the flashbulbs, but the painful journey of redemption after a chastening loss in the Tokyo Olympics arena is finally heading towards culmination, at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG).

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“I want to change the colour of my medal at these Games. I have gone through a lot after the Olympics and nothing but gold will complete my comeback,” Panghal, 26, said. He will box in the 51kg category.

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He won 49kg silver at the 2018 Gold Coast CWG. It started an impressive run as he won the Asian Games gold a few months later. He went on to bag gold (2019) and silver (2021) at the Asian Championships, and silver at the 2019 World Championships. He became world No 1 just before the Tokyo Games. But he crashed to a first round defeat against 2016 Rio silver medallist Yuberjen Martínez.

He was promptly dropped from the national camp, a decision he was told of even before leaving Tokyo. “It was a tough phase. I was under a lot of stress. I was hurt, angry, devastated,” he said. “But as an athlete and armyman I am trained to bounce back. That's what I will do in Birmingham."

Panghal sat home for four months after the Olympics, unsure of his future. “There were days when I would just think about that Tokyo day for hours. There were nights when I would wake up in cold sweat. All that is finally gone, I don’t wish to dwell on the past too much,” Panghal, who was recalled to the national camp in Patiala in January, said.

"My confidence took a beating at the Olympics. Then being dropped from the camp shattered my morale. My fitness went down, skills suffered. It was the love for boxing that kept me going. I want to make it a golden redemption in Birmingham."

It's easier said than done. India are a strong boxing presence at the Asian and Commonwealth level—they claimed a joint high nine medals across men's and women's sections at the 2018 Gold Coast CWG—but there will be tough competition from hosts England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Australia.

England were the best boxing nation in eight of the 21 CWG editions, including the last two. South African and Kenyan boxers have topped the standings thrice each and Ghana and Canada twice each.

“I am expecting a strong challenge at CWG. There are no easy medals. English boxers are good and the event is happening in their backyard, so they will have the advantage, but my preparations are on track.

“Having said that, boxing is a lot about how you do on that particular day. I had a bad day at the Games and all my preparation went to waste. I just hope nothing like that happens again. I have lived the extremes of sporting life. I have been world No 1 and then crashed out of the opening round of Olympics. Nothing less than gold will put an end to those memories.”

While speed has been one of his key strengths, Panghal reckons his endurance and skills are still a work in progress, something he is addressing at the training camp in Belfast.

“Honestly, endurance has been a weak area for me. My ring work needs more time too. It has picked up pace over the past few weeks, but frankly, it needs time."

Another factor that may worry Panghal is a lack of competition. Since Tokyo, he has entered in only one event, the Thailand Open in Bangkok, where he took the 52kg silver. He then took part in the CWG trials in Patiala before boarding the plane to Ireland earlier this month.

“That is a concern, but I couldn't have participated in an international event without being fully fit. Since returning to the camp in January, it took me 4-5 months to get close to the desired fitness. Had I jumped into competitions half-baked and lost, it would have further dented my confidence.”

Panghal's lack of game time showed in Bangkok, where he was tested by lesser boxers. Though he lost to Philippines' Rogen Ladon by a split decision in the final, he struggled for rhythm, especially early on. “I was not sure of my fitness before the trials but I also wanted to test myself. So, I participated in Thailand. It was a bit of an eye-opener.

“I had stepped in the ring after a long time, so I was really hesitant to go for my punches. I was playing without the head guard after a while because we usually practice with the headgear on, so the fear of getting head-butted was also there.

“In my first bout, I was really scared. But as I began going deep into the competition, I got better and began to analyse my strengths and weaknesses.”

Panghal returned home and aced the trials for his second CWG. His game though is still some way from his best. “I spotted some weaknesses during the trials and I am working with the national coach on them. I am gradually getting back to top level and I am determined to come home with gold.”

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