Amit Panghal hands India its first gold at 2019 Asian Boxing Championships

Amit Panghal made India proud on Friday by clinching the country's first gold medal at the 2019 Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The 23-year-old boxer from West Bengal defeated Korea's Kim Inkyu in an unanimous decision in the finals of the men's flyweight 52kg category to take the top honours. 

With the win, Panghal has bagged his second successive gold of the year. He had earlier headed into the tournament on the back of a gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in February.

It is to be noted that the Asian Boxing Championship is Panghal's maiden international event since switching from 49kg to 52kg category earlier this year. 

Earlier, Panghal had knocked down Hu Jianguan of China 4-1 in a split verdict to book his place in the summit showdown of the tournament. 

Deepak Singh, the other Indian in the fray, settled for the silver medal after slumping to a defeat at the hands of Nodirjon Mirzahmedov of Uzbekistan by a split verdict in the final of the men's 42kg category.