Amit Panghal beat Kieran MacDonald of England 5-0 in the 51kg boxing final to win gold at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday. This is now India’s second boxing gold at this CWG; Nitu Ghanghas beat England’s Demie-Jade to win gold in the women’s 48kg boxing.
In an open bout, Amit landed some stinging jabs on his English opponent and subjugated him. All judges unanimously awarded the round to the Indian pugilist.
Panghal sealed the second round too, but one judge ruled in favour of MacDonald. Panghal’s masterclass ensured he landed a win with an unanimous decision.
Earlier, Panghal had advanced to his second consecutive Commonwealth Games boxing final by beating Patrick Chinyemba of Zambia 5-0 in a unanimous decision.
Chinyemba began on an aggressive note, landing a barrage of punches on the world championship silver medallist. Trailing 2-3 after the opening round, Panghal dug deep to effect hooks and jabs and take the round.
The final three minutes were keenly contested, with both pugilists trying to leave an impression. But his performance in the third round was enough to earn him a 5-0 ruling in his favour.
Panghal had trumped Namri Berri of Vanuatu in his Round-of-16 bout, defeating him 5-0 in an unanimous decision. He replicated that scoreline in his quarterfinal against Scotland's Lennon Mulligan, assuring himself of a medal.
