Sakshi Chaudhary Triumphs at Asian Games, Advances to Pre-Quarterfinals
Sakshi Chaudhary's Impressive Victory
Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 22: Indian boxer Sakshi Chaudhary secured a decisive victory over Aira Villegas from the Philippines, a bronze medallist from the Paris Olympics, winning by a unanimous 5-0 in the women's 51kg round of 32 at the Asian Games 2026 on Tuesday.
Recently crowned with a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Sakshi showcased her skills against a formidable opponent, demonstrating confidence throughout the match.
Starting from the red corner, she launched an aggressive attack, landing a series of powerful punches in the first round, which she won 5-0, as reported by ESPN.
In the second round, Villegas came out with more intensity, but Sakshi countered effectively, landing clean shots to maintain her lead, again winning the round 5-0.
Celebrating her 23rd birthday on the same day, Sakshi adopted a strategic approach in the final round, choosing her moments to strike while managing her lead. Although Villegas landed a significant left hook, it was insufficient to alter the match's outcome, allowing Sakshi to secure a unanimous decision.
Next, she will compete against Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova in the round of 16 on Thursday.
In other boxing news, India's Jadumani Singh is set to face Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Thapa in the men's 55kg round of 32 at 10:30 am IST, according to ESPN.
On Day 3 of the Games, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team final after qualifying for the gold medal match, having placed second in the qualification round.
The Indian men's kabaddi team achieved a significant 63-31 victory over South Korea in their Group A match.
In swimming, the team of Rishabh Das, Akash Mani, Benediction Beniston, and Dhanush Suresh secured seventh place in the men's 4x100m medley relay heats, qualifying for the final.
In soft tennis, Jay Meena triumphed over Pakistan's Hussain Arain with a score of 4-0 in the men's singles Group D, while Aadhya Tiwari faced a 1-4 defeat against Thailand's Alisha Ziegler in the women's singles Group D.
In wushu, Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam finished ninth in the women's Nanquan final, while fencers Sachin and Hemash Singh placed fourth in Pool 1 and Pool 5, respectively, in the men's individual foil event.
Aryan Nehra finished fourth in the men's 1500m freestyle final B. Chetan Bhatt lost in the men's 84kg kumite bronze medal match, and Alisha Choudhary was defeated 1-6 by Indonesia's Cok Istri Agung Sanistyarani in the women's kumite -55kg round of 16.
India also faced a 0-3 defeat against Malaysia in the men's team Regu Group B sepaktakraw competition.
In equestrian dressage, Ashish Limaye and Willy Be Dun finished 13th, Arjan Nagra and Cooley Goodwood were 23rd, while Fouaad Mirza and Camouflage 38 placed 26th.
India had a successful Day 2, with Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil, and Parth Mane winning silver in the men's 10m air rifle team event. Dhillon and Patil later added individual medals, while MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal also earned a bronze.