The Indian contingent is assured of at least six silver medals by virtue of its boxers having reached the finals, including four women. With a total of 15 medals confirmed, India has achieved its highest medal haul, surpassing the previous best of 13 — two gold, four silver, and seven bronze medals — won in 2019 in Bangkok.
Thapa entered the final after defeating defending champion Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan 4-0. He will face Baatarsukh Chinzorig of Mongolia in the final.
Having learned the art of tackling taller opponents, Panghal relied on those skills to score a 5-0 win against Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov to enter the gold medal match of the 54kg category.
Panghal, 25, will take on the 2016 Rio Olympic champion Zoirov Shakhobidin of Uzbekistan in the final match on Monday.
Lightweight Panghal, the world silver medallist, had also defeated Bibossinov in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Championships and both were well versed with each other’s tactics.
Bibossinov, 29, the 2019…
