Haryana boxer Bunty Panghal bags Gold medal in China, advocates for introduction of IPL-like leagues in boxing

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Another boxer from Haryana seems to be making the right noise inside the ring. Bunty Panghal, cousin of Asian Games gold medal winner Amit Panghal, claimed the top spot in women’s 75kg category at the World Police and Fire Games held in China. It was the first time that Bunty was participating in these games and having already made a name for herself and her nation, the next target for her is to do well in the National Boxing Championship.

Having started off just 5 years ago, Bunty has dedicated her life to boxing. Hard training, discipline, strict regimen are some of the key factors behind her rise and she aims to continue doing the same in pursuit of greater success.

In an interview, Bunty revealed how in times where Vijender Singh was making noises in the Indian boxing fraternity, it was her cousin Amit whose success gave her the inspiration to do well in the sport.

“It was a normal lower middle-class childhood since my father was a constable in Haryana Police. My father would take me to Bhiwani stadium and show me several players boxing as he was very focused about my career into boxing from the very beginning. All he wanted for me to be a good boxer, a player that he could be proud of someday. Initially, it was my father’s dream that led me to put on the gloves but later on as I indulged myself in the game, I was intrigued and started liking the sport so much so that I decided to become a professional boxer,” she said.

While boxing has seen a surge in terms of interest from fans in the past few years, it's the male boxers who have started to reach stardom. Barring Mary Kom, there aren't many female boxers in the country who have built a name for themselves. Overall, the sport still lags behind in terms of popularity. When asked about the same, Bunty said that the introduction of franchise leagues like the Indian Premier League and Pro Kabaddi can help boxing develop further.

“Boxing is becoming popular in the rural side of India, especially in Haryana where I can see more and more participants added up every year. Still it’s not a popular sport in urban India. If boxing leagues like IPL or kabaddi start, it might help people notice the value of it. It’s a tough game mentally and physically,” she opined.