Aichi-Nagoya, Sept. 27 -- Riding a rich vein of form, Commonwealth Games champion Ankush Panghal stormed into the men's 80kg semifinals and assured India of its first boxing medal at the Asian Games here on Sunday.
Making his Asian Games debut, the 21-year-old Haryana boxer produced a mature and controlled performance to outclass Tajikistan's Nekruz Salimov 5-0 in the quarterfinals.
Ankush seized control from the opening bell, combining quick footwork with crisp straight punches and well-timed counters. He dictated the distance and refused to allow Salimov to settle into a rhythm.
Having established a clear advantage in the first two rounds, Ankush showed impressive composure in the final round. Instead of getting drawn into a frantic ex...