Indian Boxers Shine at Asian Games: A Historic Gold Rush in Nishio!

Historic Gold Medals for Indian Boxers

Nishio (Japan): Indian boxers achieved a remarkable feat at the Asian Games, clinching three gold medals with Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Parveen Hooda (65kg), and Ankush Panghal (80kg) showcasing impressive performances against formidable rivals in their finals held in Nishio, Japan, on Friday.

Lovlina and Parveen made history by joining the elite ranks of Indian women boxers who have won titles at this prestigious continental event, ending a 12-year wait. The legendary MC Mary Kom previously secured the flyweight (51kg) gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

Ankush marked a significant milestone as the first Indian male boxer to win an Asian Games gold since Amit Panghal's victory in 2018.

On her 29th birthday, Lovlina triumphed over China's Ziyi Bao with a decisive 5-0 score, improving upon the silver medal she earned in the previous edition. Parveen followed suit, narrowly defeating Paris Olympic bronze medalist Chen Nien-chin from Chinese Taipei with a 3-2 split decision to secure her first Asian Games gold.

Ankush concluded the event on a high note, overpowering South Korea's Kim Minseong with a 4-0 victory in the 80kg final.

India's boxing team finished the tournament with a total of six medals, including three golds, marking the nation's best-ever performance at the Asian Games.

Previously, India’s highest medal tally was at the 2010 Guangzhou edition, where the team secured nine medals, comprising two gold, three silver, and four bronze.

Lovlina expressed her joy, stating, "Today is my birthday. It’s a very special birthday, and 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."

Reflecting on her match, she added, "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 rounds, so I thought I have to just win the third round."

Lovlina utilized her height advantage effectively, while Bao attempted to close the distance to limit her opponent's space. This led to a chaotic match, with Bao frequently clinching.

In a shift from her usual strategy, Lovlina began aggressively, landing early punches, but Bao responded fiercely with counterattacks.

The Chinese southpaw landed a few combinations, but Lovlina finished the round strongly with powerful punches, edging it 3-2.

In the second round, Bao came out aggressively, but Lovlina managed to maintain her distance and found her rhythm, winning the round 4-1.

The final round mirrored the previous ones, with Bao throwing numerous punches but struggling to connect cleanly. Lovlina remained defensively sound and picked her moments to counterattack.

Having established a lead, Lovlina slowed the pace towards the end, keeping Bao at bay and securing her victory.

In the last edition, Lovlina had lost to another Chinese boxer, Li Qian, in the final, but this time she ensured there would be no repeat of that outcome.

Additionally, Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg), and Narender Berwal (+90kg) earned bronze medals.

This impressive performance comes on the heels of Indian boxers' record-breaking achievements at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month.