Indian heavyweight boxer Narender Berwal signed off with a bronze medal at the Asian Games on Tuesday after going down 0-5 to reigning world champion Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan in the men’s +90kg semifinal. The unanimous-decision defeat ended Berwal’s bid to reach his maiden Asian Games final but earned the 31-year-old his second successive bronze at the continental event. He had also finished with bronze in the super-heavyweight category at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
Oralbay dominates
Oralbay controlled the semifinal from the opening bell, using powerful combinations and accurate punches to keep the Indian under pressure. The Kazakh swept the opening round 5-0 on the judges’ cards and maintained his advantage through the second.
Berwal attempted to work his way back into the contest and landed some counters, but could not unsettle the reigning world champion. Oralbay adopted a more measured approach in the final round and kept the Indian at bay to complete a unanimous 5-0 victory.
Second straight bronze
Berwal had entered the semifinals after a dominant quarterfinal performance against Thailand’s Adthapong Saengtep. The Indian forced three standing counts before the referee stopped the contest just 1 minute and 37 seconds into the opening round.
That victory had already assured Berwal of a medal because both losing semifinalists receive bronze in Asian Games boxing. Tuesday’s defeat therefore left him with another bronze, adding to the medal he won at Hangzhou three years ago.
Commonwealth silver
Berwal, a Subedar in the Indian Army, had entered the Asian Games after winning silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. His latest podium finish continued a strong international season for the heavyweight boxer. The Indian had been attempting to improve on his Hangzhou result, but faced one of the toughest opponents in the draw in Oralbay, the reigning world champion.
Two Indians reach finals
India enjoyed better results in two other boxing semifinals on Tuesday, with Ankush Panghal and Parveen Hooda advancing to their respective gold-medal bouts. Ankush defeated Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1 in the men’s 80kg semifinal, while Parveen registered a unanimous 5-0 victory over China’s Li Shu in the women’s 65kg last-four contest. Ankush’s victory also made him the first Indian male boxer to reach an Asian Games final since Amit Panghal won the 49kg gold at the 2018 Jakarta Games.