Who is Yuberjen Martinez? Meet Olympic silver medalist boxer who beat Amit Panghal
In a major upset for the Indian contingent, Colombian boxer Yuberjen Herney Martinez Rivas outhussled world No. 1 Amit Panghal in his maiden 2021 Olympic bout on Saturday. Pangal, who was one of India's medal hopefuls, was hammered by the Colombian in a 4-1 split decision in the men's flyweight (52kg) round of 16.
Panghal's exit comes as a big shock for the Indian camp. Martinez, the current silver medalist, was on top of Panghal from the second round onwards. The dismantling performance left Panghal unable to stand straight.
Who is Yuberjen Martinez?
Yurberjen Herney MartÃnez Rivas is a Colombian boxer. The 29-year-old is currently the fourth ranked boxer in 49kg category in the world. An Olympic and Pan American games silver medallist, Martinez is a ferocious fighter inside the ring.
Yuberjen Martinez's Olympic performances
Martinez suffered a defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan's Hasanboy Dusmatov in the finals of Rio 2016. He went 0-3 down to the Uzbek boxer.
Yuberjen Martinez's major achievements
2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist
2017 World Championship bronze medallist
2018 Central American and Caribbean Games gold medallist
2019 Pan American Games silver medallist
Yuberjen Martinez dominated Panghal
Although Panghal started strong, he was vanquished within no time. Martinez's body language, footwork, attacking moves and merciless punches startled Panghal's movement. The Indian was exasperated by the end of the second round.
At one point, Martinez pinned him down on his knees. The Colombian dominated the last two rounds, leaving a worn-out Pangal with no chance of a comeback.
Moving forward in the competition, Martinez will look to win the gold he missed in Rio.
Yuberjen Martinez mext match:
The Colombian will be up against Tanaka Ryomei of Japan in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Games on August 3.
Also read: India in Tokyo Olympics 2021 India Schedule