Reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda and Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar led a dominant Indian showing as the women’s team clinched four gold medals at the Asian Boxing Championships on Thursday.
Joining Minakshi (48kg) and Preeti (54kg) at the top of the podium were Priya Ghanghas (60kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), as India finished with an impressive haul of 10 medals, four gold, two silver and four bronze.
Minakshi set the tone for the day with a commanding performance in the 48kg final, defeating Mongolia’s Nomundari Enkh-Amgalan with a unanimous 5-0 verdict to secure India’s first gold.
Preeti followed with an equally dominant display, outpunching three-time world champion and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Huang Hsiao-wen of Chinese Taipei. She sealed a convincing 5-0 win to underline her growing stature on the international stage.
Priya Ghanghas added to India’s tally with a clinical 3-0 victory over North Korea’s Won Un-gyong in the 60kg final, while Arundhati Choudhary impressed with a 4-1 win against Kazakhstan’s Bakyt Seidish in the 70kg summit clash.
However, the campaign was not without setbacks. In the 57kg final, reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria suffered a one-sided 0-5 defeat to Thailand’s Punrawee Ruenros, a two-time world championships silver medallist.
India secured another silver through Alfiya Pathan (80+kg), who went down 0-5 to Kazakhstan’s Dina Islambekova in her only bout of the competition.
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Despite the strong medal haul, the championships saw limited participation in certain weight categories. Boxers such as Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Pooja Rani (80kg) and Alfiya Pathan effectively secured medals after competing in small fields, in some cases with just three participants.
Earlier in the tournament, two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (54kg), Ankushita Boro (65kg), Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani had settled for bronze medals following semifinal defeats.
The Indian women’s team’s overall performance, however, underlined its depth and consistency across categories, with multiple boxers delivering commanding victories in the finals.
Attention now shifts to the men’s competition, where Vishwanath Suresh (48kg) and Sachin Siwach (60kg) are set to compete in their respective finals on Friday, offering India further chances to add to its medal tally.
The strong showing in Ulaanbaatar reinforces India’s growing stature in Asian boxing, particularly in the women’s division, where the team continues to deliver consistent results at the continental level.
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