India’s Panghal stuns Olympic champion

Amit Panghal pulled off a massive upset to outbox the 2016 Rio Olympic champion and win gold for India yesterday, but it was Uzbekistan who became new lords of the Asian Games ring.Kazakhstan had been the dominant force four years ago in Incheon winning six titles, but they handed the baton to Uzbekistan who had boxers in all seven men’s finals and took home five golds.Amit, 22, kicked off finals day in pulsating fashion with the performance of the Games, edging a 3-2 split decision to take revenge on Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusantov for defeat in last year’s World Championship light flyweight quarter-final.Amit kept his distance from the reigning Olympic and Asian champion and 2017 world silver medallist, picking off the Uzbek and never allowing him to get in close where his quick hands and inside work are most dangerous.“The strategy worked, I thank my coaches,” Amit told AFP after the bout.“The defence and counter was perfect. I will now go for an Olympic gold for my country in Tokyo. Winning a gold for India, I am happy.” Amit, India’s only finalist at these Asian Games, lost a unanimous decision to the Uzbek a year ago in Tashkent but is maturing fast as a boxer and gave a hugely disciplined performance.“Yes I have taken revenge. It proves India is second to none. I felt pressure because all our boxers had lost (before the final) but I did well.”Uzbekistan underlined their supremacy in Asian boxing, after winning nine golds at last year’s continental championships.They got off the mark with gold in the next bout when flyweight Jasurbek Latipov was ahead on points when Rogen Ladon of the Philippines was stopped because of a cut in the second round.The unlucky Ladon, who had nursed his wound above the left eye through the quarter- and semi-finals, was examined by the ringside doctor who determined he could not continue and Latipov took it 3-1, with one card level.The Uzbek gold march was halted, temporarily, when Mongolia’s Erdenebat Tsendbaatar earned lightweight gold on a 3-2 split decision over Shunkor Abdurasulov.But Ikboljon Khodarov repeated his 2017 Asian Championship light welterweight final win over Mongolia’s Chinzorig Baatarsukh on a unanimous 5-0 decision.Uzbekistan’s Bobo Usmon Baturov (welterweight) and Israil Madrimov (middleweight) rounded off their five-gold haul.India bags gold in bridgeIndia bagged gold in the men’s bridge pair competition at the 2018 Asian Games yesterday.The Indian pair comprising Pranab Bardhan and Shibhnath Sarkar scored 384.00 points to finish in the first place. China’s Gang Chen and Lixin Yang bagged silver, while Henky Lasut and Freddy Eddy Manoppo of Indonesia settled for the bronze medal.India’s women’s squash team got a second successive silver medal in the Asian Games as it lost to Hong Kong 0-2 in the final here yesterday.The Indian women’s team of Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal, Sunayna Kuruvilla and Tanvi Khanna, lost their first two singles matches.Kuruvilla lost 1-3 (8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 3-11) to Ho Tze-Lok as Hong Kong led 1-0 in the final. Sunayna had defeated Tze-Lok during a Pool B clash but in the final, the 19-year-old was unable to deliver under pressure. Kuruvilla was fielded ahead of experienced Pallikal due to the latter’s physical toll during Friday’s win over Malaysia in the semi-finals.Then veteran Chinappa lost 0-3 (3-11, 9-11, 5-11) to Annie Au Wing Chi, who had won by a similar margin during the Pool B clash against the Indian.Joshana said: “She (Annie) put pressure on me right from the start. I played well in patches but it was not enough).”Goals by Akashdeep Singh and Harmanpreet Singh helped India defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the bronze medal playoff of the men’s hockey event. Akashdeep scored in the third minute, before Harmanpreet doubled India’s lead in the 50th minute. Mohamed Atiq pulled one back for 2014 edition runners-up Pakistan two minutes later.Though in the dying minutes of the match Pakistan kept the ball possession for longer spell, the 2014 edition champions India did everything they could to defend the lead and win.Amit Panghal (right) of India celebrates winning gold medal while Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusantov, his opponent in the men’s Light