Jadumani Singh, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, powered India's boxing campaign at the Asian Games 2026 on Tuesday by defeating Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Thapa via a unanimous 5-0 decision in the Men's 55kg preliminary round at the Nishio Gymnasium, Nishio. The win secures Singh a place in the pre-quarters, where he will face a far sterner test against a proven Olympic medallist.

How the Bout Unfolded

Singh started cautiously but quickly imposed himself with sharp, precise punches that won over all five judges across the three rounds. Thapa, the reigning World Championships bronze medallist, found himself unable to match the Indian's output, and a telling left hook from Singh forced a standing count in the final round. The scorecards read three 30-27 cards and two 29-28 cards — a resounding verdict.

Notably, this was no soft draw for Singh. Defeating a world-level medallist in the opening round signals that the Indian camp arrived at the Asiad in strong form.

What's Next: The Paalam Challenge

Singh's pre-quarter opponent on Saturday will be Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam, a silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and a bronze medallist at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Paalam is widely regarded as one of Asia's most accomplished lightweights, making the upcoming bout arguably the toughest assignment of Singh's career so far.

Sakshi Chaudhary Also Advances

India's women's boxing camp had equal reason to celebrate. Sakshi Chaudhary, the Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medallist, made a commanding Asian Games debut at the same venue by defeating Filipino Aira Villegas — a Paris Olympics bronze medallist — via a unanimous 5-0 decision, winning all three rounds with consistent 10-9 scores.

Chaudhary's win is particularly notable given Villegas's pedigree. She will next face Alua Balkibekova, the current 51kg world champion, in the pre-quarters on Thursday — a contest that will test the full depth of her skill.

Sakshi's Rapid Rise in Indian Boxing

Chaudhary's trajectory into elite competition has been steep. She notably defeated two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the semifinals of the Commonwealth Games 2026 selection trials, then edged reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda — who competes at 48kg — in the final, after dropping down from 54kg. Her gold-medal performance at CWG 2026 saw her defeat England's Ruby White 5-0 in the final, cementing her status as one of India's brightest boxing prospects heading into the Asiad.

India's Boxing Prospects at Nishio

With both Singh and Chaudhary advancing convincingly, India's boxing contingent at the Nishio Gymnasium has opened its Asian Games 2026 campaign with genuine momentum. The coming days — Singh's Saturday clash with Paalam and Chaudhary's Thursday test against Balkibekova — will reveal whether India can push deep into the medal rounds at this edition of the Asiad.