The 23-year-old Indian pugilist lost 0-5 to Zorikov but the scoreline was hardly a reflection of the fight he put on against his Uzbekistani opponent.
India's Amit Panghal in action against Carlo Paalam of Philippines at the AIBA Menâs World Championships , in Russia's in Ekaterinburg on Sep 18, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
Indian boxer Amit Panghal’s historic campaign in the men’s World Championships ended on Saturday with a silver medal after losing the final match to Olympic champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan in 52kg category.
Panghal missed the gold but not before creating history by becoming the first Indian to reach the title clash at the Worlds.
“I think I lacked a bit of power in my punches today, I will work on it. Zoirov has been in this weight for longer time than me, that helped him today,” Panghal told PTI after the bout.
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“Nonetheless, it is the biggest medal of my career, I dedicate this to my country,” he added.
The 23-year-old Indian pugilist lost 0-5 to Zorikov but the scoreline was hardly a reflection of the fight he put on against his Uzbekistani opponent.
“I had hoped for a gold but there are a few things that I need to improve upon,” said Panghal in a video that he tweeted after being conferred the silver medal. He was however confident that his win is a good sign for the sport in the country.
“Indian boxing has improved a lot,” he said in the video, adding, “I’m sure boxers will break records and win medals in the future. Just like how we created history here, we will be now doing the same at the Olympics.”
#SilverMedal #AIBAWorldBoxingChampionships #yekatrinburg #Russia देश वासियों के प्यार बना रहे।🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 जय हिंद। pic.twitter.com/W0KMtOS5P8
— Amit Panghal (@Boxerpanghal) September 21, 2019
(With agency inputs)
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