New Delhi: India’s Amit Panghal was eliminated from the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, 30 July. Competing in the men’s 51kg flyweight category, Panghal lost by split decision in his Round of 16 match against Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba.
Wearing the blue bib in the North Paris Arena ring, Panghal started aggressively but struggled to find his range from the outset. Despite his coach’s advice to change his strategy after the first round, the adjustments couldn’t turn the tide in his favor.
Panghal, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 for India, struggled to land his shots despite closing in on his taller Zambian opponent. Following his coach’s advice to create distance in the second round, Panghal faced even more difficulty as Chinyemba used his long reach to land sporadic shots, keeping Panghal at bay.
After losing the first two rounds via split decision, Panghal came out swinging in the final round, hoping to sway the judges. He threw everything he had at the 3rd-seeded Zambian, using his left jab and right hook. However, Chinyemba stayed focused, avoided Panghal’s plans, and maintained his distance, securing his victory in the final round.
At the end of the final round, only 1 judge ruled the contest in favour of Panghal 29-28, while the other four were heavily in Zambian’s favour. Panghal ultimately lost the match 29-28, 27-30, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28.
Panghal earned his spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by defeating Carlo Paalam of the Philippines in the 52 kg quarterfinal. He then went on to win gold at the 2020 Boxing World Cup in Cologne, Germany, and secured a bronze medal at the 2021 Governor’s Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia. In addition, he claimed a silver medal at the 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, narrowly losing to Shakhobidin Zoirov by a 3-2 split decision.
As the world number one in the 52 kg category, Panghal entered the 2020 Olympics but was defeated by Rio Olympics Silver Medalist Yuberjen Martínez by a split decision. Despite this setback, he continued to shine, winning a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a silver medal at the 2022 Thailand Open.
