Mumbai: India’s only boxing gold medallist at the 18th Asian Games Amit Panghal on Wednesday said that he was unsure about his strategy as he prepares to scale up from 49kg to 52kg ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Panghal, who also won silver in Commonwealth Games, has to change weight category as the 49kg category is unlikely to be an Olympic category going forward. The women in turn, will have a 69kg category in the event. “I only got to know after the Asian Games that my weight category starts from 52kg,” Pangal said at an event in Mumbai, promoting Fit India.
Panghal defeated Olympic champion, Uzbekistan’s Hansanboy Dusmatov, to clinch the gold medal in Jakarta. If he moves to 52kg, the 23-year-old will be up against another Uzbek in Shakhobidin Zoirov, the Rio Olympics champion. The Rohtak-born is taking it step by step. “Now, I have to see the bouts of the overseas boxers who are champions in that weight category (52kg) and see what they do in the ring.”
“With 49kg, I observed that the boxers move forward and fight you. I haven’t planned anything for 52kg; how to defend, how to attack. I have to work on that now, and learn about the boxers’ weakness as well. I will be training with my coach. My conditioning and strength training will be based on that.”
Panghal, however, is aware that he has his task cut out. “A 52kg boxer will be stronger than a 49kg boxer. Endurance and the reach of the taller boxers is also something I have to work on. So, I am thinking of travelling abroad to work on my fitness and strength. I have heard that the facilities in the United States are the best in the world.”
After clinching gold, Panghal was received with much fanfare in Delhi upon arrival. The diminutive boxer said that he has also been talking to his India coaches about the weight switch. “I am constantly in touch with [India high performance coach] Santiago [Nieva] and [Assistant coach] CA Kuttappa. I keep sparring with them but I keep talking to my basic coaches back home about what I need to do now.”
Following his heroics in 2018, Panghal was recently nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award for outstanding achievement in sports, but lost out to veteran heavyweight boxer Satish Kumar. The young pugilist is not disheartened. “I will try to win it next year,” he said.