Men’s national boxing: Amit Panghal, Sanjeet lead 12 Services pugilists into semis

Amit Panghal, the 2019 World Championships silver medalist, and Sanjeet, the 2021 Asian Champion, secured commanding victories in the quarterfinals as they led their 10 other teammates from Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) into the semifinals on day five of the 7th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championships in Shillong.

The quarterfinal stage of the 7th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championships witnessed remarkable performances from Amit Panghal in 51kg and Sanjeet in 92kg as they secured their places in the semifinals.

In his quarterfinal bout, Phangal demonstrated his experience against Mohammad Aarif of Jammu and Kashmir, dominated the proceedings throughout and ultimately won the bout comfortably in a unanimous decision. He will next face Ankit of RSPB in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the 2021 Asian Champion, Sanjeet went head-to-head against 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Naman Tanwar of RSPB in the 92kg quarterfinal. Sanjeet was at the top of his game as he controlled the bout and played from a distance, landing hard punches throughout. He continued the momentum and grabbed the win with a unanimous decision. Sanjeet will take on All India Police’s (AIP) Vicky in the semifinals.

The other 10 SSCB boxers who qualified for the semifinals include Barun Singh (48kg), Pawan (54kg), Sachin (57kg), Akash (60kg), Vanshaj (63.5kg), Rajat (67kg), Akash (71kg), Deepak (75kg), Lakshya (80kg), Jugnoo (86kg).

In other significant bouts, representing Assam, the six-time Asian Championships medalist Shiva Thapa, showcased his renowned skill set and power-packed punches, dominating the quarterfinal match against Shashank Pradhan of Delhi. He secured a commanding 5-0 victory and will square off against Harivansh Tawari of Maharashtra in the semifinals.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar (92+kg), who represents RSPB, was up against Navjot Singh of Chandigarh. He started the bout with an aggressive approach and landed a flurry of hard-hitting punches in the first round only that led to the referee stopping the contest. He will fight it out against Vishal Kumar of Delhi in the last four stages.