Ankush Panghal wins gold as India ends Asian Games boxing campaign with 6 medals
Synopsis
Ankush Panghal's 4-0 demolition of South Korea's Minseong Kim at Nishio Gymnasium completed a remarkable Indian boxing sweep at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games — three gold medals, three bronze, six total. With Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda also striking gold, India's women headlined a campaign that produced historic milestones and reset expectations for the sport.
Key Takeaways
Ankush Panghal won gold in the men's 80kg final, defeating Minseong Kim of South Korea 4-0 at the Nishio Gymnasium .
India concluded its boxing campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 3 gold and 3 bronze medals — a total of 6 .
Lovlina Borgohain secured India's first women's boxing gold in 12 years with a 5-0 win over China's Ziyi Bao in the 75kg final, on her 29th birthday .
Parveen Hooda won gold via a split 3-2 decision, becoming only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games boxing gold after MC Mary Kom and Lovlina .
Bronze medals went to Kapil Pokhariya (men's 90kg), Narender Berwal (men's +90kg), and Priya Ghanghas (women's 60kg).
India fielded 11 boxers in total at the Games; 6 returned with medals.
Ankush Panghal clinched a dominant gold medal in the men's 80kg final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating Minseong Kim of South Korea 4-0 at the Nishio Gymnasium on 2 October, sealing a historic boxing campaign for India that yielded three gold medals and three bronze medals — a total of six medals overall.
Ankush's Commanding Final
Ankush Panghal seized control from the opening bell, taking the first round 4-1 with fierce, accurate punching. He was even more dominant in the second, sweeping it 5-0 with precise 1-2 combinations and sharp counter-punches. The Korean challenger Minseong Kim was docked a point for a warning in the first round, compounding his deficit.
The third round was more of the same as Ankush blended defence with attack to take it 4-1, clinching the contest 4-0. Four of the five judges scored it 30-26 in the Indian's favour; one judge saw it as a draw at 28-28. The victory was as complete as the scoreline suggests.
India's Triple Gold — Lovlina and Parveen Led the Way
Lovlina Borgohain, who turned 29 on the same day as her gold-medal bout, secured India's first women's boxing gold in 12 years in the 75kg final, beating China's Ziyi Bao by a unanimous 5-0 verdict. Lovlina had previously won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2022 Asian Games, making this victory a significant step forward and, reportedly, a perfect birthday present to herself.
Parveen Hooda delivered a gripping final in her category, edging out Nien-chin Che of Chinese Taipei with a split 3-2 decision. Parveen won the first round 5-0, saw Che level the contest by claiming the second round 5-0, but held her composure in the final round to win it 3-2 and take the gold. With the medal, Parveen Hooda became only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games boxing gold, joining legendary MC Mary Kom — who won the women's 51kg event at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games — and Lovlina herself.
Bronze Medals Add to India's Haul
India's other three medals came via semifinal finishes. Kapil Pokhariya (men's 90kg), Narender Berwal (men's +90kg), and Priya Ghanghas (women's 60kg) all secured bronze medals after reaching the last four and falling at that stage.
Full Indian Boxing Campaign at Aichi-Nagoya
India fielded 11 boxers at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Among those who exited earlier, Sakshi Chaudhary (women's 51kg) lost in the round of 16 to reigning world champion Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan. Preeti Pawar (women's 54kg) went down to Pang Chol Mi of North Korea in the pre-quarters, as did Jadumani Singh (men's 55kg), who lost to Carlo Paalam of the Philippines. Sachin Siwach (men's 60kg) was eliminated by Japan's Shunsuke Kitamoto in the quarterfinals, and Sumit Kundu (men's 70kg) fell to Iran's Ali Qasim Al-Sarray in the pre-quarters.
The campaign stands as one of India's strongest boxing showings at a single Asian Games, and sets a high benchmark for the squad heading into future multi-sport competitions.
Point of View
With Lovlina's 5-0 final a statement that her Tokyo bronze was a floor, not a ceiling. The men's campaign, though headline-grabbed by Ankush, still shows a depth problem — only Ankush reached gold from five male entries. The real test for Indian boxing now is whether this performance triggers structural investment or remains an athlete-specific story.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Ankush Panghal win the Asian Games boxing gold?
Ankush Panghal won the men's 80kg gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by defeating South Korea's Minseong Kim 4-0 at the Nishio Gymnasium on 2 October. He dominated all three rounds, with four of the five judges scoring the bout 30-26 in his favour.
How many medals did India win in boxing at the 2026 Asian Games?
India won a total of six boxing medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games — three gold and three bronze. The gold medals were claimed by Ankush Panghal (men's 80kg), Lovlina Borgohain (women's 75kg), and Parveen Hooda; the bronze medals went to Kapil Pokhariya, Narender Berwal, and Priya Ghanghas.
Why is Lovlina Borgohain's gold medal historically significant?
Lovlina Borgohain's 5-0 victory over China's Ziyi Bao in the women's 75kg final gave India its first women's boxing gold at the Asian Games in 12 years. It also marked an improvement on her silver at the 2022 Asian Games and her bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, making it the peak result of her career so far.
Who is Parveen Hooda and what did she achieve at the Asian Games?
Parveen Hooda is a Rohtak-born boxer who won a gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating Nien-chin Che of Chinese Taipei in a closely contested split 3-2 decision. She became only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games boxing gold, after MC Mary Kom (2014, Incheon) and Lovlina Borgohain.
Which Indian boxers won bronze medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?
Three Indian boxers won bronze medals — Kapil Pokhariya in men's 90kg, Narender Berwal in men's +90kg, and Priya Ghanghas in women's 60kg. All three reached the semifinals but lost their last-four bouts, securing bronze as a result.
