'I had lost to him before, so I had to take revenge. Coach Santiago (Nieva) and other coaches had prepared me well. In the semifinal, I did not play the first round well, here I did not repeat that mistake,' Amit Panghal said
Jakarta: India will return from Indonesia with its best-ever medals tally in the history of Asian Games.
On the penultimate day of the ongoing edition of the continent’s multi-sport spectacle, India won four medals with two gold, one silver and one bronze. The total count is 69 (15 gold, 24 silver, 30 bronze).
The previous best haul for India was in 2010 in Guangzhou when the country won 65 medals. The 15 gold medals are the joint best, matching the feat achieved in 1951 in the inaugural edition in New Delhi.
Also read: Asian Games Day 13 Roundup
It was a Super Saturday as Amit Panghal stunned Uzbekistan’s Olympic champion Dusmatov 3-2 to win gold in men’s 49kg category. He is only the eighth Indian to win an Asian Games boxing gold.
A special moment for Indian sports! The courageous and immensely talented Amit Panghal wins the Gold in the Men’s 49kg boxing event. Proud of him! #AsianGames2018 pic.twitter.com/SUpJP1DSTT
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2018
"I had lost to him before, so I had to take revenge. Coach Santiago (Nieva) and other coaches had prepared me well. In the semifinal, I did not play the first round well, here I did not repeat that mistake," the 22-year-old army man Amit said after gold-winning performance.
Also read: Hockey India official calls players 'spoilt brats'
"The coach asked me get him on counter-attack. The training in England and at the camp in India helped. I had sparred with southpaw boxers at both places. I knew how to take advantage of the upper cut," he added.
On bridge’s debut this year, India won the gold with men’s pair topping the standings. 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan and Shibhnath Sarkar, 56, did the nation proud. The duo has been playing together as a team for 20 years.
"It's game based on logic. It's a mind game like chess but more challenging. In chess you play one on one. Here you are playing with your partner, with whom you can't speak during the match. You have to understand each other's move. You have to judge, what I am thinking with my cards," an elated Bardhan said.
"It's definitely not gambling. Everybody gets the same hand (first set of cards), so no luck is involved. It's up to you to respond to the situation," Bardhan added.
In women’s squash, Indian team finished second, losing to Hong Kong 0-2 in the final. Sunayna Kuruvilla and Joshna Chinappa lost their respective singles matches.
The final medal of the day came from hockey as India edged arch rivals Pakistan 2-1 in the third place match.
Last Updated Sep 9, 2018, 9:15 AM IST