"Hopes and expectations from him increase"- Akhil Kumar bats for Amit Panghal to secure a medal in Paris Olympics 2024

Former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Akhil Kumar has heaped praise on the Paris-bound Indian boxer Amit Panghal.

Akhil firmly believes that Amit Panghal, who has shown remarkable resilience by qualifying for the Paris Olympics 2024 after being dropped from the national team, will be one of the medal contenders.

"Amit is in a strong place now because he has made a comeback and seen the tough times in the past few years," Akhil shared with PTI during a panel discussion on India's Olympic prospects hosted by the Delhi Sports Journalists Association.

Amit Panghal lost his place in the national team following his early exit from the Tokyo Olympics. It was due to an evaluation system implemented by the Boxing Federation of India under the guidance of then High-Performance Director Bernard Dunne. However, his determination to reclaim his position saw him bounce back and secure an Olympic quota in the 51kg category.

The sudden and unimagined setback shook Panghal’s confidence, leading him to question his abilities. However, when the chance to prove himself arose, India's men's world championships silver medalist left no stone unturned in earning his place in the Olympic squad.

"During his exclusion from the team, he must have had sleepless nights, training intensely and enduring indescribable emotions. He has emerged from these challenges stronger and should use this as motivation," Akhil added.

Amit Panghal, who once reached the pinnacle of his sport with gold medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships and a historic silver at the World Championships, aims to complete his medal collection with an Olympic medal.

"Amit has a medal in every tournament apart from the Olympics and I hope he gets that (missing medal). He has defeated so many talented boxers over the years, so hopes and expectations from him increase," Akhil asserted.

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Amit Panghal likely to be without his coach at the Paris Olympics 2024

According to reports from My Khel, in addition to his rigorous training, Amit Panghal faces another challenge as he prepares for the Paris Olympics. Hemanta Kumar Kalita, Secretary General of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), revealed that Panghal's personal coach might not be accommodated in the Games Village.

Despite this uncertainty, Panghal remains focused on his training in India. He has opted to prepare domestically under the guidance of his basics coach, Anil Dhankhar, and Cuban coach, BI Fernandes, at the National Centre of Excellence in Rohtak, rather than joining international training camps.