Ankush Panghal hails from the village of Bheria, situated in the southwestern region of Haryana, close to Hisar. Under the mentorship of his coach, Pradeep Sawant, Panghal would often train in the sandy terrain surrounding the village, demonstrating remarkable resilience by remaining silent while his fellow trainees voiced their complaints about the strenuous exercises. Recently, the 21-year-old boxer secured a victory in the men’s 80kg final against South Korea’s Kim Minseong, winning by a unanimous 4-0 decision. This achievement makes him the first Indian male boxer to attain an Asian Games gold medal since Amit Panghal in 2018. Sawant recognized that his protégé would likely remain modest about this accomplishment.

“During our training sessions in the sand dunes, Ankush never voiced a complaint, unlike the other kids. Even when we added extra climbs, he kept pace with us. Although he was quite active and bright, he seldom spoke. I often wonder what goes on in his mind (Laughs). His keen analysis of opponents was evident in his performance in Japan. I doubt he’ll talk much about the medal, but we’ll make sure to coax a smile out of him and perhaps even get him to dance when he returns with the gold,” Sawant shared in an interview with The Indian Express.

On the Hisar-Sadulpur Highway, Suresh Panghal and his elder brother Ramesh run the RS Dhaba, a roadside eatery. Ramesh, a former kabaddi player, transitioned from operating a grocery store to opening the dhaba in 2018. As the youngest of six siblings in their joint family, Ankush began boxing training under Coach Sawant at the age of 10, a decision Ramesh made in 2015. The children were often transported to the academy by Ramesh or his eldest daughter, Neelam, who is also a shooter.

“Ankush was always mischievous and quick-witted. As a kabaddi player, I wanted him to pursue an individual sport. My eldest daughter Rashmi, along with her two sisters, would take Ankush and his cousins to various sports academies in Hisar. Sometimes I would drive them, while other times Rashmi would,” Suresh Panghal recounted during his conversation with The Indian Express.

Initially competing in the 40kg category, Ankush progressed to higher weight classes, earning medals at both state and national levels in sub-junior and junior competitions.

“I needed to keep his active mind occupied. He was mischievous, but he quickly grasped everything we worked on, whether it was speed training, endurance exercises, or shadow boxing. He was always the first to finish and would ask, ‘Sir, what’s next?’ He naturally excelled in straight punches, and as he moved up to higher weights, we focused on enhancing his left hook and footwork. I consistently emphasized that his foot movement would be crucial in heavier classes, and our training reflected that,” Coach Sawant explained.

Panghal has previously claimed a silver medal at the World Boxing Cup held in New Delhi, where he faced a narrow split-decision defeat against Oladimeji Shittu from England in the finals—a loss he later avenged by defeating Shittu in the Commonwealth Games final. He also triumphed at the 2026 Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic.

In his recent matches, Panghal achieved a convincing 5-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov in the quarter-finals, followed by a split 4-1 victory against the reigning 75kg world champion, Fazliddin Erkinboev from Uzbekistan. Indian head coach CA Kutappa has noted Panghal’s strengths during training.