Amit Panghal in action© X (Twitter)
India’s lone male boxer to win a world championship silver medal, Amit Panghal, has become the latest from the country to turn professional. One of India’s most accomplished male boxers, the 29-year-old has signed with US-based talent management company Critical Sports and Entertainment. “Critical Sports and Entertainment is proud to announce the signing of world-renowned Olympian boxer Amit Panghal,” the agency wrote in an Instagram post. The development comes just a month after world championship bronze-medallist Nishant Dev also made the switch to professional boxing.
“As he shifts once again to the professional ranks, Amit brings a wealth of experience, skill, and a champion’s mentality. We alongside co-manager Connor Burke are honored to welcome him to the Critical Sports and Entertainment family and look forward to guiding him on this exciting next chapter of his career.” The Haryana boxer, who competes in the 51kg category in the amateur circuit, is yet to be allocated his maiden professional fight.
A former world number one, Panghal has won medals in all major international competitions except the Olympics.
Panghal once dominated the sport with gold medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships, along with a historic silver at the 2019 World Championships.
However, his international appearances have been limited in the past four years. After an early exit from the Tokyo Olympics, Panghal lost his place in the Indian team.
He later won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games before qualifying for the Paris Olympics, where he was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals by Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba.
With this move, Panghal follows in the footsteps of 2008 Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh, Vikas Krishan, Mandeep Jangra, and Neeraj Goyat, who also moved to professional boxing after a good run in the amateur circuit.
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