Nishio, October 2 (Daily Kiran) : Indian boxer Ankush Panghal expressed his ambition to replicate his brother Amit’s success at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games. Amit, an Olympian and former Asian Games gold medalist, has always been a source of inspiration for Ankush. He aims to achieve the same glory that Amit did in 2018.
In the gold medal match of the 80 kg category, Ankush secured a decisive 4-0 victory against South Korea‘s Kim Min-sung. This win marks him as the first Indian male boxer to clinch gold following Amit’s achievement in the Jakarta games.
After his victory, Ankush remarked, “Yes, he (Amit) is my older brother. I used to talk to him, and I still do. In 2018, Amit won gold, and this time I want to do the same. He is like my real brother.” Ankush reached the finals by defeating reigning world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1 in the semifinals. Earlier this year, Kim faced Erkinboev in the semifinals of the Asian Championship, where he secured a bronze medal.
Despite his success against a world champion, Ankush emphasized that he did not approach the finals with overconfidence. “No, I wasn’t overconfident. But I was confident I would win the final. I never had such overconfidence that I could defeat everyone. I just wanted to give my best performance,” he stated. He also drew motivation from the earlier victories of Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg) and Parveen Hooda (65 kg), who both won gold in their respective categories. “Yes, I felt that the country had already won two golds, and now I had to bring in the third medal,” he added.
Ankush had previously won a gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. At just 21 years old, he described this year as the best of his career, boasting two significant gold medals. “This has been my best year in the last decade. Previously, I would win silver or bronze, but this time I have two gold medals. I feel great. My training has been going well, and I have improved in practice,” he said.
Initially, Ankush started as a kabaddi player, influenced by his father‘s involvement in the sport. However, he switched to boxing early on. “When I was in school, I played kabaddi for 2-3 years. I wanted to pursue a sport where I could compete individually. I started boxing ten years ago. In 2018, I won a gold medal at the school nationals, and after that, I focused more on boxing.”
Leave a Comment