Amit Panghal: Ankush Panghal called Olympian and former Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal his elder brother, highlighting that he wanted to replicate Amit's 2018 Asian Games gold medal with a yellow metal of his own in the 2026 Games.
Ankush defeated South Korea's Kim Minseong in the 80kg gold medal bout by 4-0 with a dominant performance in the final to become the first Indian men's boxer to win a gold since Amit clinched one in the 2018 Jakarta Games.
"Yes, he (Amit) is my elder brother. I used to talk to him. I still talk to him. In 2018, Amit Pangal won the gold; this time I wanted to replicate him. He is like my real brother," Ankush said after the gold medal win.
Ankush came into the final after beating reigning world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev in the semifinal by 4-1. Ankush's final opponent, Kim, had lost to Erkinboev in the Asian Championships earlier this year semifinal, where the Korean bagged a bronze.
Despite a win against the world champion under his belt, Ankush says he wasn't overconfident a bit coming into the final. "No, I wasn't overconfident. But I was confident that I would win the finals. I was never overconfident that I would beat everyone. I just wanted to do my best," he said.
He stated that he also fed off energy from the gold medal wins of Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and Parveen Hooda (65kg) in their categories earlier in the day. "Yes, I felt that the country has two gold medals and now I have to bring in the third," he said.
Ankush also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026. The 21-year-old called this year the best for him as he has two major gold medals now. "This is the best year I have seen in the last 10 years. I used to get silver or bronze medals, but this time I have two golds. I am feeling good.
"My training was going well. I trained well in the camp. My practice is getting better," he added.
Ankush also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026. The 21-year-old called this year the best for him as he has two major gold medals now. "This is the best year I have seen in the last 10 years. I used to get silver or bronze medals, but this time I have two golds. I am feeling good.
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Article Source: IANS