Three gold in a day! Ankush Panghal completed Indian boxing’s hat-trick at the Asian Games
NEW DELHI: Ankush Panghal completed a golden hat-trick for Indian boxing at the Asian Games on Friday when he defeated South Korea’s Minseong Kim in the men’s 80kg final to cap off a memorable day for the country’s fighters in Aichi-Nagoya.Ankush dominated the title match, winning the opening round 4-1 before taking a unanimous decision 5-0 in the second to build a big advantage. He maintained control in the third round, winning 4-1 and sealing the gold medal with a 4-0 verdict.His triumph came after Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda won their individual finals, making Friday a landmark event for Indian boxing.Lovlina beat China’s Ziya Bao 5-0 in the women’s 75kg final on her 29th birthday, while Parveen defeated Paris Olympics bronze medalist Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei 3-2 in a split decision in the women’s 65kg category.The three wins gave India a hat-trick of gold medals in boxing and brought a memorable end to a day of high-stakes matches.Asian Games full coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule
Ankush dominates the final
Ankush made a strong start against Kim, leveling the score 4-1 on the judges’ score in the opening round. The Indian then raised his game in the second, securing a 5-0 unanimous verdict to keep the match firmly in control.With the gold within reach, Ankush remained poised in the final lap and continued to outscore his Korean rival. He won the round 4-1, completing a commanding performance to claim the men’s 80kg title.The win added another gold to India’s boxing campaign after the women’s final had already produced two major milestones.
Lovlina and Parveen end a 12-year wait
Earlier, Lovlina produced a composed performance to defeat Bao and improve on the silver she won at the previous Asian Games. Her victory ended India’s 12-year wait for a women’s Asian Games gold, making her only the second Indian after the legendary MC Mary Kom to win the title.Mary Kom won the women’s 51kg gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.“It was a very special birthday, I feel really good. I thought I would have to give a gold medal for my birthday. It’s the first time I got a present for myself,” said Lovlina after her victory.Parveen followed it up with a hard-fought victory over Paris Olympics bronze medalist Chen to clinch her first Asian Games gold. Her narrow split-decision victory added another highlight to India’s campaign.The Indian boxing contingent has already surpassed its four-medal return from the previous edition, with Priya Ghanghas, Kapil Pokhariya and Narender Berwal also securing bronze medals.The country’s best boxing performance at the Asian Games remains the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, where Indian boxers won nine medals, including two golds. Friday’s treble provided another memorable chapter in India’s campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.
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