Indian heavyweight boxer Narender Berwal clinches Asian Games bronze
India secured another proud podium finish in boxing on Tuesday as heavyweight fighter Narender Berwal claimed the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya. Competing in the men's +90kg semifinal, Berwal went down fighting against reigning world champion Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan through a unanimous decision.
Oralbay established dominance early in the opening round, landing accurate body shots and crisp head strikes to dictate the pace of the contest. Berwal searched for his rhythm and managed to connect with sharp counter-punches late in the round, but all five judges awarded the frame 5-0 to the Kazakh boxer. Carrying momentum into the second round, Oralbay pressed forward with relentless combinations. Berwal responded with improved ring awareness, finding a target with a clean right hook. Even so, the Kazakh fighter maintained positional control and swept the scorecards 5-0 once again.
Facing an uphill battle, Berwal adopted an attacking stance in the third round and threw punches with increased intensity. Oralbay relied on nimble footwork and defensive movement to avoid sustained damage, while still connecting with sharp counter-blows. One exchange forced the referee to issue Berwal a standing eight count before boxing resumed. Oralbay held firm through the closing seconds to confirm his unanimous points victory and advance to the final.
Finishing with bronze caps off a remarkable run of international form for the 31-year-old Subedar in the Indian Army, who previously claimed silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year. Berwal's achievement lifted India's overall medal count at the Asian Games to 48, consisting of five gold, 21 silver, and 22 bronze medals.
Indian boxing enjoyed wider success on Tuesday alongside Berwal's bronze finish. Ankush Panghal edged past Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1 in the men's 80kg semifinal, setting up a gold-medal contest against South Korea's Kim Min-Seong. In the women's division, Parveen Hooda blanked China's Li Shu 5-0 by unanimous decision in the 65kg semifinal, earning her spot opposite Chinese Taipei's Chen Nien-chin for the top prize.
With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image courtesy: ANI
