Parveen Advances to Quarterfinals at Aichi-Nagoya Games 2026
Indian Boxer's Journey Continues
File image of Indian Boxer Parveen(Photo: @TheKhelIndia/X)
Nishio, Sep 24: Indian boxer Parveen has successfully reached the quarterfinals in the Women's 65kg division after receiving a walkover from Tajikistan's Malika Nozimova during the round of 16 at the Nishio Gymnasium.
Parveen, who had her bronze medal stripped at the Hangzhou Games, is now just one victory away from clinching a medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games 2026. She is set to compete against reigning world silver medallist Navbakhor Khamidova from Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
In another match, India's Commonwealth Games champion Sakshi Chaudhary exited the Asian Games after a narrow defeat in the Women's 51kg pre-quarters against reigning world champion Alua Balkibekova, losing by a score of 2-3. Despite a commendable effort, Chaudhary fell short, with three judges scoring the bout 27-30 in favor of her opponent, while she received two cards of 30-27 and one of 29-28.
Additionally, Indian boxer Sumit faced off in the Men's 79kg round of 16. He was ahead after winning the first two rounds but suffered an injury early in the third round, leading to the referee stopping the match. It appeared to be a suspected knee injury, leaving him unable to continue.
Parveen, hailing from Haryana, is a 2022 Asian Champion in the 63kg category. She had previously moved down to 57kg for the 2023 Asian Games, where she initially secured a bronze medal and an Olympic quota for India. However, both accolades were revoked following a suspension by WADA due to three whereabouts failures within a year. She is now eager to secure a medal in this competition.
Sakshi, a gold medallist at the CWG 2026, has made a significant impact in the boxing arena. She triumphed over Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aira Villegas in the preliminary round at the Asian Games 2026, advancing to the pre-quarters with a unanimous 5-0 decision, showcasing an impressive performance on her Asian Games debut.
Chaudhary has established herself as a formidable boxer, having defeated notable opponents, including two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda during the selection trials for the Commonwealth Games 2026. She moved down from 54kg, defeating Nikhat in the semifinals and Hooda in the finals to secure her place for CWG 2026.