Ankush Panghal enters semifinal, assures India's first boxing medal at Asian Games
Ankush Panghal beat Tajikistan's Nekruz Salimov 5-0 in the men's 80kg quarterfinal to seal India's first-ever Asian Games boxing medal.
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Indian boxer Ankush Panghal has secured another medal for India at the Asian Games. In the men's 80kg quarterfinal on Sunday, he defeated Tajikistan's Nekruz Salimov 5-0. The win takes Ankush into the semifinal and guarantees India its first-ever boxing medal at the Asian Games. India had not won a single boxing medal at the Games until now, making this win especially significant.
In the three-round bout, Ankush dominated from the start while Salimov struggled to match him. Ankush took the first round 5-0. In the second round he turned more aggressive, landing a series of punches including a strong left hook, and won that round 5-0 as well. Salimov, looking for a knockdown, came back in the final round and landed some punches on Ankush, but the Indian boxer held his defence. Salimov won the third round 4-1, but having won the first two rounds unanimously, Ankush comfortably won the bout overall. This is Ankush's first Asian Games appearance.
Ankush Panghal has set several records in the 80kg category in recent years. Born in Haryana, he took up boxing at the age of eleven. He won a silver medal at the 2025 World Boxing Cup final. Last month, he won gold in the men's 80kg category at the Commonwealth Games. He is currently considered one of the successful boxers in Indian boxing.
India has so far won a total of thirty medals at the 2026 Asian Games, comprising four gold, twelve silver and fourteen bronze. Following the Indian women's team's win on September 26, the men's team also beat Iran 40-34 to win their second consecutive gold in kabaddi. Joshna Chinnappa and Velavan Senthilkumar won bronze medals in squash. In the marathon, Sawan Barwal finished second, India's fourth Asian Games medal in the marathon event. India's medal tally continues to grow across various sports.
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