Ankush Panghal wins boxing gold for India at Asian Games 2026; First since Amit Panghal - The Indian Express
21-year-old Ankush Panghal won another boxing gold for India at the ongoing Asian Championships 2026 in Nagoya on Thursday in 80 Kgs category.
Ankush scored a split 4-0 win over South Korea’s Kim Minseong to become the first Indian male boxer, after Amit Panghal, to win an Asian Games gold medal since the 2018 Asian Games.
Ankush came from behind to out-punch reigning 75kg world champion Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1 to book his place in the 80kg summit clash in his semifinal clash.
Earlier, Lovlina Borgohain defeated China’s Ziyi Bao 5-0 on her 29th birthday to upgrade the silver she had won at the last edition. Parveen then eked out a narrow 3-2 split-decision win over Paris Olympic bronze-medallist Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei to also claim her maiden Asian Games gold.
Ankush out-punched South Korea’s Kim Minseong 4-0 in the 80kg summit clash to end the campaign on a resounding note.
India thus signed off with six medals, including three top finishes, marking its best-ever gold performance at the Asian Games.
The country’s best haul came at the Guangzhou 2010 edition, where the contingent won nine medals — two gold, three silver and four bronze.
“Today is my birthday. It’s a very special birthday, I’m feeling really good. I thought I’d have to gift a gold medal on my birthday. It’s the first time that I got a present for myself. I gave it my all. I didn’t think for a second that I would lose,” Lovlina said after the win.
“It was a very tough fight. But I was always thinking that I just have to win. The last round was very tough. I was winning by 2-1 in the first and second round. So I thought I have to just win the third round.
“The opponent was very strong. I was playing with her for the first time. So I had no idea how she was going to play. I was motivating myself that I have to win. I don’t want to lose.” Lovlina made the most of her considerable height advantage.
At the last edition, Lovlina had lost to another Chinese boxer, Li Qian, in the final, settling for silver. This time, she made sure there was no repeat of that result.
Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg) and Narender Berwal (+90kg) won bronze medals. The strong showing in the continental event comes on the back of Indian boxers’ record-breaking campaign at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month.
