Indian boxers secure triple gold at Nagoya Asian Games.
Indian pugilists dominated Friday events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 by delivering three top podium finishes. Ankush Panghal led this aggressive charge, securing first place in the men's 80 kg boxing final. He defeated South Korea's Kim Min-seong using relentless counter-punches and sharp upper hooks. Panghal claimed the first round 4-1 and swept the second round 5-0, forcing his opponent into a defensive stance. This victory establishes him as the first Indian male boxer to win an Asiad gold since 2018.
Parveen Hooda and Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain also joined the winner's circle. Hooda defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-Chen via a tight 3-2 split decision in the women's 65 kg category. This win offered significant redemption for Hooda after previous career setbacks. Meanwhile, Borgohain celebrated her 29th birthday by completely outclassing China's Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women's 75 kg final. These consecutive victories reflect India's rapidly growing infrastructure and coaching quality in combat sports.
Beyond the ring, Indian athletes delivered historic results across multiple disciplines. Indian women secured their first-ever continental medal in recurve archery. Kumkum Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, and Kirti Sharma defeated the heavily favored South Korean squad 5-3 in a thrilling gold medal match. Mohod later added a silver in the mixed recurve event alongside Dhiraj Bommadevara. The men's recurve team followed suit by taking silver against South Korea.
Also read: Parveen Hooda overcomes past setbacks to win Asian Games boxing gold
Sailor Nethra Kumanan clinched bronze in the women's dinghy competition following a resilient recovery in her final race. Additionally, the sepaktakraw men's quadrant earned a hard-fought bronze. These combined efforts pushed the national tally to 74 medals, comprising 14 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes.
