Tokyo Olympics 2020: Will Amit Panghal get past the Zoirov hurdle?

Ace boxer Amit Panghal has left a mark with his latest performances in the build up to the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

With only 20 days left until the commencement of the biggest international sporting event, the Indian contingent has seen a vast improvement in the participants' performances and rankings, including Amit Panghal.

The 25-year-old is all set to embark on his upcoming Tokyo Olympics journey, with a career-high World No. 1 ranking.

Boxer Amit Panghal will enter Tokyo Olympics as World Number 1 https://t.co/HCpgOb3TWs @the_bridge_in #22Days #Countdown #tokyo #Olympics #Cheer4India

— Amit Panghal (@Boxerpanghal) June 30, 2021

How will the World No. 1 ranking help Amit Panghal during the Tokyo Olympics?

Amit Panghal's recent top rankings will avail him of his chances of procuring a favorable draw at the Olympics. This gives him the advantage of not facing any of the tough draws before the quarterfinal bout. This will give Panghal the leverage to save energy in the initial rounds of the Summer Games.

The 25-year-old's toughest rival has to be Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin Zoirov, considering their previous encounters. Whereas, France’s Billal Bennama, Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi, and China’s Hu Jianguan are in second, third, and fourth positions respectively.

Amit Panghal's performance at CWG and World Champions

Amit Panghal bagged a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he lost to British boxer Galal Yafai. The reigning Asian Games champion and World Championships silver-medal winning pugilist is looking to make a roaring entry to the Summer Games.

He lost to Uzbekistan's Shakhobidin Zoirov at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships. Although he had to settle for a silver medal, there are always perks of competing against the best in the world. Zoirov also defeated Panghal in the Governor's Cup semifinals.

Panghal's performance against the reigning Olympic and world champions will be a massive boost to his confidence ahead of the Summer Games.

The 25-year-old was not satisfied with the scoring system in the nail-biting Asian Championship final. Panghal said more transparency was required during such big and important championships.

Shakhobidin Zoirov celebrates his victory against Amit Panghal

Will Panghal get past the Zoirov hurdle?

Amit Panghal and Shakhobidin Zoirov – the World No. 1 and World No. 5 respectively – have faced off a few times with Uzbekistani boxers winning all the games. Perhaps, that is why Zoirov is being deemed as Panghal's seasoned rival and the biggest threat in his quest to attain Olympic glory.