Asian Games: No cash to replace gloves, Amit Panghal even trained bare-handed

CHANDIGARH: "Throwing in the towel." It's a term familiar to boxers, but it doesn't exist in Amit Panghal's dictionary. The never-say-die spirit was ingrained in him right from childhood.


Amit, who hails from Maina village in Haryana's Rohtak district , is the son of a farmer. His father, Vijender Singh, owns just one acre of land where he tills wheat and millet. The financial condition of the family was never healthy, as a result of which Amit's elder brother Ajay Panghal had to give up his boxing dreams.

"Till 2011, our financial condition was very bad. The yield from our land wasn't great. The earning was just enough to feed the family. I was also into boxing and was training under coach Anil Dhankar so that I could become an international boxer. But our family situation meant I had to quit boxing. I joined the Indian Army in 2011 at the rank of a Naib so there was a steady flow of income. But I made sure Amit didn't quit boxing because I knew he had the potential to reach the top," said Ajay Panghal, Amit's elder brother.

Such was Amit's passion and dedication towards the sport that he practised with bare hands for more than six months - his boxing gloves were in a tattered condition and he didn't have money to buy new ones. "There was a time when Amit didn't have boxing gloves for more than a six-month period. His old gloves were in tatters and we didn't have the money to buy new ones, which would have cost nearly Rs 3,000. Such was his dedication that he practised with his bare hands, but didn't give up," remembered Ajay, adding, "Proper diet is very important for a boxer's growth, and that is something Amit always lacked. He still managed to defeat bigger and more formidable boxers in his teens. At times, he fought bouts on an empty stomach and won. Inside the ring, he has always been technically impressive."

Amit is a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and is ranked as Naib Subedar with the Indian Army. He started boxing in 2006. His father now wants him to focus on getting an Olympic medal. "The Asiad gold is just a stepping stone. Every sacrifice that our family has made is for an Olympic medal. The medals that he wins in between will boost his confidence, and give him the necessary experience that is required to win a medal at the Olympic stage. Winning an Olympic medal is the ultimate target, not only for him but for all of us," said Amit's father Vijender Singh.