On Friday, April 3, India ended the day with a brilliant performance at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Women boxers Nikhat Zareen, Priya, and Preeti Pawar registered impressive wins in their respective matches to move into the semifinals. With that, India has three confirmed medals from the event.
Zareen led the charge in the women’s 51kg quarterfinals match. She was in complete control while securing the first-round RSC (Referee Stops Contest) victory over Philippino Xian Baguhin. Her next contest is against Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist Wu Yu of China which she will compete against in the semifinals.
In the women’s 60kg category, Priya continues with her impressive run in the tournament through a calm and composed victory over China’s Chengyu Yang by 4-1. She will next take on Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor in the semifinals.
On the other hand, in the women’s 54kg category, World Boxing Cup finals gold medalist Pawar played a decisive run in the quarterfinals. She defeated Enkhjargal Munguntsetseng of Mongolia by a 5-0 unanimous decision victory. With a powerful win, she will next face Korea’s Im Aeji, which is expected to be one intense semifinal clash. Aeji is a bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championship.
Meanwhile, other players from the Indian squad have their campaigns scheduled later. This includes Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain, reigning world champions Minakshi Hooda and Jaismine Lamboria, and Olympian Pooja Rani.
India’s Deepak lost in the men’s 70kg category. In the quarterfinals match, he was beaten by Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash with a score of 1-4.
The 2026 Asian Boxing Championships feature 194 boxers. India has sent a 20-member boxing contingent that is currently competing in the event. The winning boxers will then qualify in the finals in approved weight categories and will directly qualify for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
