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Indian boxers Amit Panghal, Sanjeet and Ashish Kumar have won gold medals at the recently concluded Alexis Valentine International Boxing Tournament held in Nantes, France.
The tournament was the first international event that Indian boxers were a part of since the lockdown enforced earlier this year in March.
Amit Panghal, silver medalist at the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships in the 52 kg-weight category, overcame the challenge from American boxer Rene Abraham. Panghal defeated Abraham in a dominating show of technical skills, winning the gold medal bout with a 3-0 scoreline.
Former India Open gold medal winner Sanjeet was up against France's Soheb Bouafia in the 91 kg final bout and produced a clinical performance to win the top honors. In the 75 kg weight category, Indian boxer Ashish Kumar won the gold medal after his opponent from USA, Joseph Gerome Hiks, gave him a walkover due to injury.
Kavinder Singh Bisht, the boxer in the 57 kg weight category claimed the silver medal, after he lost out in a close bout against Frenchman Samuel Kistohurry in a 2-1 split verdict.
Indian boxers had won three bronze medals earlier in the tournament
Earlier in the tournament, three Indian boxers - Shiva Thapa (63 kg), Sumit Sangwan (81 kg) and Satish Kumar (Over 91 kg) had secured the bronze medals for India. All of the three aforementioned pugilists had bowed out of the semi-final stage of the Alexis Vastine International Boxing Tournament.
The tournament held in the city of Nantes in France was the first event to feature Indian boxers since the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers held in Jordan in March 2020.
A total of nine Indian boxers (five male and four female) had made the cut for the mega event in Tokyo, which has been postponed to 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic around the world.
Indian boxers are currently engaged in a 52-day European exposure tour being based in Italy with a 28-member contingent with the tour sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India.
