Asian Games 2026: India’s Medal Rush Continues With Golds In Boxing And Archery

India’s medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya gathered pace on Friday, October 2, with Indian athletes producing a series of strong performances across archery, boxing, wrestling, sailing and sepaktakraw.

It also saw a number of medal events such as the gold-medal competitions between Indian boxers and wrestlers as well as the women's hockey final between India and China.

Historic Gold For India In Women’s Recurve Archery

India’s women’s recurve team created history by winning the country’s first Asian Games gold medal in the event.

The trio of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod defeated South Korea 5-3 in the final. India had earlier beaten China 5-1 in the semifinal to reach the title clash. 

The victory was particularly significant as South Korea had dominated the event at previous Asian Games. The Indian team remained composed in windy conditions and capitalised on crucial errors from their opponents.

India also collected a silver medal in the men’s recurve team event. Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge lost 1-5 to South Korea in the final. 

Lovlina Borgohain Wins Boxing Gold On Her Birthday

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain added another gold medal to India’s tally after defeating China’s Bao Ziyi in the women’s 75kg final.

The victory came on Lovlina’s birthday, making the achievement particularly memorable. She became only the second Indian woman boxer after Mary Kom to win an Asian Games gold medal.

Lovlina used her height and reach effectively during the bout before holding off Bao’s pressure in the later stages.

Parveen Hooda Clinches Women’s 65kg Gold

Parveen Hooda won another boxing gold for India after edging Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin 3-2 in a closely contested women’s 65kg final.

Parveen got an excellent start with a win in the first round on all 5 of her judges' cards. Then, in the second round, Chen returned fire but Parveen kept his cool in the closing moments to win the split decision.

The victory made Parveen the third Indian woman to pick up an Asian Games gold, after Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain.

Ankush Panghal Adds Another Boxing Gold

India’s strong showing in the boxing ring continued with Ankush Panghal winning the men’s 80kg gold medal.

Ankush defeated South Korea’s Kim Min-seong in the final, adding another title to India’s medal haul on a packed day of competition.

Sujeet Kalkal Wins Wrestling Gold

Wrestler Sujeet Kalkal also reached the top of the podium in the men’s 65kg freestyle category.

Sujeet had earlier produced a major semifinal upset against Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka, winning 4-3 on criteria after their bout ended level at 3-3. He subsequently won his gold-medal bout against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazid Kudiev.

India Adds Medals In Sailing And Sepaktakraw

India’s medal tally also grew through other disciplines.

Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women’s dinghy sailing event. India also secured a bronze medal in men’s quadrant sepaktakraw after losing to Japan in the third-place playoff.

Meanwhile, India’s mixed recurve pair of Kumkum Mohod and Dhiraj Bommadevara won silver after losing their final against China.

Women’s Hockey Team Faces China In Final

The women's hockey final between India and China for the gold medal was one of the highlights of the day.

The match was also important as the Asian Games hockey champions get a direct qualification spot for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028. India came into the final after defeating South Korea 2-0 in the semi-final.

October 2 was one of the busiest days of the Indian campaign in the Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya as events were held in various arenas including boxing, wrestling, archery, hockey, cycling, sailing and more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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