Asian Games: Kapil Pokhariya loses semifinal but wins boxing bronze, Lovlina Borgohain in final

Indian boxer Kapil Pokhariya had to settle for bronze at the Asian Games 2026. In the 90 kg semifinal he faced Uzbekistan's Turbek Khabibullaev and lost 1-4.

Kapil was seen struggling against Turbek, and the defeat ended his dream of reaching the final. He still won a medal on his first outing at the Asian Games. Turbek took control of the bout from the start and led 0-5 in the first round.

The Uzbek boxer dominated the second round too, winning it 4-1. Kapil tried to make a comeback, but Turbek did not give him many chances. He won the bout comfortably and booked his place in the final.

Earlier, Indian women's boxer Lovlina Borgohain beat Kazakhstan's Natalya Bogdanova 3-2 in the 75 kg category to reach the final. With the win, Lovlina has assured herself at least a silver medal at the Asian Games 2026. She has become the first Indian woman boxer to reach the final of two consecutive Asian Games.

In the first round of the semifinal, Lovlina looked short of her best and lost the round 2-3. In the later rounds, however, she changed her strategy and took control of the bout. The star Indian boxer put up a strong show in both the second and third rounds to get past Natalya.

Lovlina's accurate and aggressive punches put the Kazakhstan opponent under pressure. In the second round, all the judges gave Lovlina 10-10. In the third round, two judges gave her 10 and three gave her 9. This decided her win.

Indian boxer Priya Ghanghas, too, will return with a bronze medal after losing her semifinal. She lost 1-4 to China's Yang Chengyu. Priya could not find her rhythm in the bout and had no answer to the Chinese boxer's accurate attacks.

Priya looked aggressive from the start, but Yang's strong defence and balanced game proved a big challenge for her. As the bout progressed, the Chinese boxer kept control and won.