Priya Ghanghas Secures Medal in Women's Boxing at Aichi-Nagoya Games
Priya Ghanghas Advances in Women's 60kg Boxing
File image of Priya Ghanghas(Photo: @sportsapna1/X)
Nishio, Sep 28: Indian boxer Priya Ghanghas has secured a medal in the women's 60kg category after achieving a unanimous 5-0 victory against Tajikistan's Mijgona Samadova in the quarterfinals held at the Nishio Gymnasium.
Although Priya was behind 2-3 at the end of the first round, she rallied back in the subsequent rounds to clinch a decisive 5-0 win, ensuring at least a bronze medal.
Both athletes showcased impressive skills in the opening round. After a cautious start, Samadova landed several punches, while Priya managed to score in the final moments. The Tajik boxer, a bronze medallist from the Hangzhou Games in the 57kg category, took the first round 3-2.
In the second round, Priya adopted a more aggressive approach, delivering effective combination punches, while Samadova received a point penalty. Priya dominated this round, winning it 5-0.
Desperate for a win, Samadova came out strong in the final round, landing some punches. However, Priya capitalized on her opponent's defensive stance, winning the third round 5-0 as well. All five judges favored Priya, with three scoring it 29-27 and two giving her 30-26 across the rounds.
Priya is set to face a formidable opponent in the semifinals, China's Yang Chengyu, on Wednesday, who is a two-time World Championship medallist with a gold from the 2023 AIBA World Championships and a bronze from the 2025 Worlds.
This victory marks India's fifth confirmed boxing medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Earlier, Lovlina Borgohain also secured a medal with a convincing 5-0 win in the women's 75kg quarterfinal against Korea's Seong Suyeon.
Borgohain, who won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, has now guaranteed herself a second medal at the Asian Games following her impressive quarterfinal performance.
Additionally, Ankush Panghal and Parveen Hooda have also confirmed their medals in their respective categories. Ankush, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, secured India's first boxing medal at these Games by defeating Tajikistan's Nekruz Salimov in the men's 80kg quarterfinals with a unanimous 5-0 decision.
Parveen also ensured her medal in the women's 65kg category after a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan's Navbakhor Khamidova in the quarterfinal.