Tokyo 2020: Amit Panghal form guide – Strength, weaknesses, recent results

Amit Panghal will compete in the 52kg men’s boxing category at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The Indian pugilist is the top seed in his weight category, and despite being unable to grab the gold medal in the recently concluded Asian Championship, he is still being seen as the top contender to win at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 2018 Asian Games gold-medal-winning boxer will be competing in his first Olympics and the pressure of that may work against him, though. Here is a look at Panghal’s strengths, weakness, and his recent results:

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STRENGTHS:

Amit Panghal’s speed and swiftness make him a challenging opposition for many. He is the quickest boxer in his weight category, and hence, he is able to move forward, get in a few jabs, and quickly move back to defend. Being the top seed, Panghal has an easy road till the quarters in Tokyo, from where things might start getting trickier.

WEAKNESS:

Amit Panghal has lost to reigning Olympic and world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan twice in close bouts. He lost to Zoirov in the 2019 World Championships, and then also lost to him in the Asian Championships this year. One factor that often has been held up against him is that Panghal starts slow in a match, and always ends up chasing a fight. Hence, the Haryana boxer tends to struggle in earlier rounds against boxers who start strong.

Recent results:

Amit Panghal had a strong 2019 in which he reached the final of the World Boxing Championships but had to settle for a silver in the event. The Indian athlete competed in the Asian Olympic qualifiers and finished with a bronze medal. The pandemic forced a break on Panghal’s run, but in 2021, he won the silver medal at Asian Boxing Championships, losing to Zoirov in a highly controversial decision. India had reviewed the decision, but the jury did not change the call.