Nishio, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian boxer Ankush Panghal credited Olympian and former Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal, whom he considers his elder brother, as an inspiration after winning the men’s 80kg gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Ankush defeated South Korea’s Kim Minseong 4-0 in a dominant performance in the final, becoming the first Indian men’s boxer to win an Asian Games gold medal since Amit Panghal achieved the feat at 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 Panghal won the gold; this time I wanted to replicate him. He is like my real brother,” Ankush said after his victory.
The 21-year-old entered the final after defeating reigning world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1 in the semi-final. Kim, his opponent in the gold medal bout, had earlier lost to Erkinboev in the semi-finals of the Asian Championships, where the South Korean boxer went on to claim bronze.
Despite his impressive semi-final victory over the world champion, Ankush said he remained focused and did not allow himself to become overconfident ahead of 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.
Ankush also drew motivation from the gold medal-winning performances of Lovlina Borgohain in the 75kg category and Parveen Hooda in the 65kg category 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.
The Asian Games gold adds to Ankush’s successful year, as he also won a gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Reflecting on his achievements, the young boxer described 2026 as his best year in a decade.
“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,” he said.
Ankush added that consistent training and improvements in his preparation had contributed to his performances.
“My training was going well. I trained well in the camp. My practice is getting better,” he said.
Before taking up boxing, Ankush spent two to three years playing kabaddi during his school days. His father was also a kabaddi player, but Ankush eventually decided to pursue an individual sport.
“When I was in school, I used to play kabaddi for 2-3 years. I wanted to switch to an individual event. I started boxing 10 years ago. In 2018, I got a gold medal at the school national. After that, I put more focus on boxing,” he said.
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