It’s a great feeling to see Amit Panghal make it to the final, exclaims Vijender Singh

Amit Panghal’s historic run at the ongoing World Boxing Championships reached unprecedented heights as he defeated Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov 3-2 to become the first Indian to reach the event’s final. Having made his debut in the tournament two years ago when he had reached the quarterfinals, the 23-year-old has been lauded by India’s premier boxer Vijender Singh on his achievement.

“He has worked very hard and that has finally paid off. It’s a great feeling to see him making it to the final,” he told Sportstar.

The Arjuna awardee is the reigning Asian champion and had also won the gold in the Asian Games earlier this year.

“It all happened because of his own efforts. There was no special support from government or other outfits, but that did not stop him from putting the hard work. There is no substitute to hard work and he has proven that again,” Vijender added.

However, he now faces a steep challenge as he will face off against Shakhobidin Zoirov, the gold medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, in the title event. However, Vijender Singh, who himself had won a bronze at the event a decade ago, has advised his compatriot to keep calm and have faith in his abilities. 

“Finals are always a big challenge, but he has done extremely well and he should just keep the momentum going. He should be high on confidence at the moment and I hope, India gets a gold medal. This is a moment of pride for the entire country,” Vijender stated.

The 33-year-old himself was the first ever Indian to have won an Olympic medal in boxing when he won the bronze in Beijing in 2008 and hence, being a veteran, had some words of counsel for the youngster.

“Handling such situations well makes one a champion. As a senior, I would advice Amit to not take too much pressure and get bogged down under pressure. This is your moment. Make us proud!” he signed off.