Ankush Panghal wins gold medal at Asian Games; India sets boxing record

Lovlina Borgohain, born on October 2, 1997, gifted India a gold medal on her birthday. In the final of the women's 75 kg weight division at the Asian Games in Nishio, Japan, Lovlina defeated Chinese boxer Bao Cui with a score of 5:0 by unanimous decision.

Thanks to this gold won by the 29-year-old Lovlina, India's 12-year wait for a gold medal in women's boxing at the Asian Games has ended. Previously, legendary boxer Mary Kom won gold in the 51 kg flyweight category at the Asian Games in Incheon in 2014.

Lovlina became the second Indian female boxer to win gold at the Asian Games, following Mary Kom. She turned a silver medal won at the previous Asian Games into gold. In the previous final, she faced a defeat against another Chinese boxer, Li Kiana.

Lovlina Borgohain was born in Baro Mukhia village, Golaghat district, Assam state, on October 2, 1997. Coming from a farming family, she achieved significant recognition in Indian boxing due to her results and consistent efforts. She trains at NCOE in Guwahati and competes in the 75 kg category.

Internationally, she established herself by winning three bronze medals at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in 2018 and 2019. After that, she became the third Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal and the second Indian female boxer to win Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games. In 2023, Lovlina won a gold medal at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championship. She represented India in several major international competitions, including the Asian Championships and the World Boxing Cup.

Lovlina received the Arjuna Award and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna. Her achievements have been a source of inspiration for young athletes from Northeast India.

The Asian Games reached their peak, and Sunday proved to be a mixed day for Indian athletes. The athletes demonstrated their dedication in disciplines such as running and field sports, hockey, and boxing, thereby bringing pride to the country. On Sunday, India won a total of 7 medals, bringing the overall tally to 37.

In running and field events, Indian athletes showed outstanding results, securing several awards. Sarvesh Kushare received a silver medal in the men's high jump, displaying brilliant performance. Parul Chaudhary won a bronze medal in the women's 3000 meters steeplechase, setting a personal record. In the intense decathlon competition, Tejashwin Shankar added a bronze to the country's collection.

In the women's final of the 200 meters, Harita Bhadra surprised everyone by winning a bronze medal. Ansi Sodjan secured a silver medal in the women's long jump after fierce competition.

Parul Chaudhary won a bronze medal in the women's 3000 meters steeplechase at the Asian Games 2026, setting an impressive national record time of 9:08.67.

The Indian women's hockey team dominated the field, achieving a convincing victory over Singapore with a score of 7:0, thus securing first place in Group B. In this match, Sunelita Toppo scored two excellent goals.

What happened in boxing? Indian boxers continue to show excellent results. Ankush, Parvin, and Nrendra won their bouts, advancing to the semi-finals and guaranteeing the country at least bronze medals.

In squash, India had to fight a bit to win a silver medal. Abhay Singh and young talent Anahat Singh both finished in second place, losing to Malaysian athletes in their singles finals.

Indian archers demonstrated excellent form on Sunday, successfully qualifying for the semi-finals in five different disciplines—compound and recurve. The day was difficult for Indian athletes in badminton: all six players in singles and doubles, including P.V. Sindhu and Unnati Hooda, were eliminated from the tournament after losing in intense matches. Meanwhile, the Indian men's volleyball team confidently started its journey, defeating Vietnam with a score of 3:0.

Indian shooters demonstrated outstanding performance at the Asian Games 2026, securing their first medal for the country on September 20 (Sunday). India won the silver medal in the team event of 10-meter air rifle shooting.

The Indian team consisted of Ilavelil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Kochulamkal Vinod. These three shooters delivered excellent results, earning India the silver award.

At the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery range, the Indian team scored a total of 1898.0 points after six shooting series, placing second.

The gold medal was won by the Chinese team, comprising Jifei Wang, Jiayu Han, and Yuchen Du, who scored a record 1904.2 points. The bronze medal went to the Japanese team, including Hinata Taichi, Misaki Nobatu, and Shiori Hirata, with a score of 1897.1 points.

Indian shooters Ilavelil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar also qualified for the individual final in 10-meter air rifle shooting. In the qualification round, Sonam Maskar placed third with 634.1 points, and Ilavelil placed seventh with 633.5 points. The leader in the qualification was Jifei Wang from China with a score of 636.8 points.

In the 10-meter air rifle team event, the Indian squad showed strong play from the beginning. The team successfully reached the podium, demonstrating accurate shooting under pressure. Thanks to the combined efforts of the three athletes, including Ilavelil Valarivan, who has extensive international experience, as well as Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, India managed to win silver in this discipline.

Shooting remains one of the main sports bringing medals to India at the Asian Games. This success of the Indian shooters in Nagoya is important for the country's overall medal tally. The results of the Indian shooters at the Asian Games 2026 raise expectations for future medals.