India, Oct. 2 -- These have been a whirlwind 11 months for Ankush Panghal. The 21-year-old boxer from Hisar in Haryana broke onto the scene at the season-ending World Boxing Cup Final in Greater Noida last November. Coming in as a late injury replacement for Lakshya Chahar, Ankush won a silver medal in the 80kg final after losing to England's Oladimeji Shittu.

Despite the loss, his enterprising, fearless boxing stood out and several national coaches marked him as a talent to watch. On Friday, he lived up to the billing, marching his way to gold and establishing himself as the future of Indian men's boxing.

Ankush defeated South Korea's Kim Minesong in a 4-0 verdict to seal a memorable Asiad debut. The last Indian man to win an Asian Gam...