Amit Panghal, one of India's biggest medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics, was shockingly knocked out of the tournament in his Round of 16 bout.
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Amit Panghal, one of India’s biggest medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics, was shockingly knocked out of the tournament in his Round of 16 bout. (Tokyo 2020 coverage)
Panghal took on Colombia’s Yuberjen Martinez, who won silver at Rio 2016. The match was expected to be tough but Panghal was also seen as the favourite coming in.
Indeed, the Indian took the first round of the bout quite convincingly. But he lost out in the next two rounds, suffering an alarming decline through the match.
Martinez knew he needed to come out swinging in the next round and did just that. He landed a number of well-aimed jabs on his opponent. Shockingly, Panghal had no answer to the onslaught.
And if the second round was bad, the third was arguably worse. The second round was awarded to Martinez via split decision, although it was clear he was the superior boxer in the round.
The third, however, was unanimously awarded to the Colombian. Thus, Panghal made a relatively quiet exit from the Games.
The Tokyo Olympics, which was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now up and running. The Games have not been without their share of controversies, however.
The event is happening despite plenty of protests from the Japanese people against it. And the angst is not without reason. Tokyo is currently in a state of emergency due to a rise in COVID cases.
The Games will by and large be played out in the absence of fans, always a major psychological blow to athletes. There’s also been a number of cases reported in the Olympic village itself.
Nevertheless, the Games remain an event that many around the world will be keen to watch. From July 23 to August 8, many will be hooked onto their televisions to follow the events.
India have currently won one medal thanks to Mirabai Chanu. Lovlina Borgahain is also guaranteed a medal in boxing.
