Jadumani Singh Shines at Asian Games 2026 with Unbeaten Performance
Jadumani Singh's Impressive Victory
Indian boxer Jadumani Singh progressed to the next stage of the Asian Games 2026 after a decisive 5-0 win against Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Thapa on Tuesday. The bout began with Jadumani adopting a cautious approach while Thapa attempted to land multiple punches, many of which did not connect effectively. Both boxers exchanged blows in an aggressive first round, with Thapa landing a notable left hook. Despite the close nature of the round, four judges awarded it to Jadumani, giving him a 4-1 lead.
In the second round, Jadumani intensified his attack, landing several powerful punches that seemed to overwhelm Thapa, who began to show signs of fatigue. Jadumani again took the round 4-1, establishing a solid lead heading into the final round. He maintained his dominance, delivering a strong left hook that prompted a standing count against Thapa. Remaining composed, Jadumani avoided Thapa's attempts to retaliate and landed another effective counter, ultimately securing a unanimous 5-0 victory and advancing to the pre-quarterfinals.
India's First Gold Medal and Other Highlights
In other news, India celebrated its first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, with the women's cricket team triumphing over Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.
Boxing
In the boxing events, Sakshi Chaudhary emerged victorious against Aira Villegas from the Philippines in the women's 51kg Round of 32, while Jadumani Singh's win over Thapa secured his place in the Round of 16.
Shooting
In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team final. After Day 2 of men's skeet qualification, Anantjeet Singh Naruka was in second place, while Mairaj Khan and Bhavtegh Singh Gill were 23rd and 35th, respectively. In women's skeet, Raiza Dhillon placed fifth, Parinaaz Dhaliwal ninth, and Maheshwari Chauhan sixteenth.
Table Tennis
In table tennis, the Indian women's team defeated Thailand 3-2 in the Round of 16, but the men's team lost 0-3 to the Republic of Korea in Round 1.
Fencing
In fencing, Taniksha Khatri was eliminated by Song Sera in the women's individual epee quarterfinal, while Mitva Chaudhari lost in the Round of 16 to Yang Jingwen. Hemash Singh Sanasam and Sachin also exited in their respective Round of 32 bouts in men's individual foil.
Badminton
In badminton, India faced a setback, losing 3-1 to Japan in the women's team quarterfinal.
Soft Tennis
In soft tennis, Aryan Thakur won against Mongolia's Bold-erdene Altangerel 4-0 but was later defeated by Chen Po-Yi from Chinese Taipei. Aadhya Tiwari triumphed over Pakistan's Kainaat Shallwani but did not qualify for the knockouts, while Jay Meena secured a 4-0 victory against Pakistan's Hussain Arain.
Swimming
In swimming, Aryan Nehra finished fourth in the men's 1500m freestyle final B, while Rishabh Das, Akash Mani, Benediction Beniston, and Dhanush Suresh placed seventh overall in the men's 4x100m medley relay heats, qualifying for the final.
Kabaddi and Sepaktakraw
The men's kabaddi team of India achieved a significant win, defeating South Korea 63-31 in Group A, while the sepaktakraw team lost 3-0 to Malaysia in Group B.
Karate
In karate, Alisha Choudhary was defeated 1-6 by Indonesia's Cok Istri Agung Sanistyarani in the women's Kumite -55kg Round of 16.
Equestrian Dressage
In equestrian dressage, Ashish Limaye/Willy Be Dun finished 13th, Arjan Nagra/Cooley Goodwood 23rd, and Fouaad Mirza/Camouflage 38th.
Esports and Wushu
In esports, India's Shakeel Danial Patel and Chinmay Sahoo ended their match against Uzbekistan in eFootball Group F with a 0-0 draw, while in wushu, Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam placed ninth.