Indian boxing enjoyed a commanding Sunday at the Asian Games as Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal stormed into their respective semifinals to assure the country of three medals. Commonwealth Games champion Sachin Siwach, however, bowed out after losing his men’s 60kg quarterfinal to Japan’s Shunsuke Kitamoto.
Parveen produced one of India’s standout performances, sweeping aside World Championships silver medallist Navbakhor Khamidova of Uzbekistan 5-0 in the women’s 65kg quarterfinal. Narender needed less than two minutes to force a stoppage against Thailand’s Adthapong Saengtep in the men’s +90kg category, while Ankush marked his Asian Games debut with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov in the men’s 80kg quarterfinal.
Parveen makes statement
Parveen entered the ring for the first time at these Games after receiving a walkover in the previous round, but there was little evidence of rust. The Haryana boxer controlled the distance effectively and repeatedly caught Khamidova with combinations, using her counter-punching to neutralise the Uzbek’s attempts to dictate the exchanges.
“I’m feeling very good. My coaches made a plan for how to fight. I managed the distance well and focused on counter-punching. That was our strategy for the bout,” Parveen said after securing a unanimous decision.
The victory carried added significance for Parveen after a turbulent period away from competition. The bronze medal she won at the previous Asian Games was taken away following a 22-month suspension imposed by the International Testing Agency for whereabouts failures.
Since returning late last year, Parveen has moved up from 57kg to 65kg and has been rebuilding her rhythm and confidence. She was one of only three Indian boxers who failed to win a medal at last month’s Commonwealth Games, making Sunday’s assured Asian Games medal an important step in her comeback.
“I’m getting my confidence back. Being away from your sport for so long makes you doubt yourself and wonder how you’ll perform in the future,” she said. “But now I feel confident again and want to achieve even more than what I lost during that time away.”
Narender overwhelms rival
Narender delivered the most destructive Indian performance of the day, overwhelming Saengtep almost immediately after the opening bell. The Indian super heavyweight unleashed a succession of heavy punches that left the Thai boxer struggling to respond.
Saengtep was given three standing counts as Narender continued to land powerful combinations before the referee stopped the contest inside two minutes. The victory assured Narender a second successive Asian Games medal after the bronze he won at the previous edition.
Unlike a close points contest, there was little ambiguity about Narender’s superiority. His aggressive opening denied Saengtep the opportunity to settle into the bout, and the stoppage allowed the Indian to progress without having to expend energy over three full rounds ahead of his semifinal.
Ankush controls contest
Ankush was equally authoritative in the men’s 80kg quarterfinal, although his dominance came through control rather than an early stoppage. Fresh from winning Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow last month, the Haryana boxer defeated Salimov 5-0 after taking charge from the opening round.
He used his reach effectively, landing clean single punches, including a straight left and right hook, while keeping the Tajik boxer on the back foot. Salimov attempted to counter, but struggled to find the accuracy or power required to disrupt Ankush, who swept all five judges’ cards in the first round.
The pattern continued in the second as Ankush maintained pressure without becoming reckless. He picked his moments to attack, stayed composed when Salimov attempted to close the distance and again won the round unanimously.
With the contest effectively under his control, Ankush conserved energy in the final round and refused to be dragged into unnecessary exchanges. Salimov tried to increase the tempo, but the Indian managed the distance comfortably to complete a 5-0 victory.
“There was no difficulty at all. I am not satisfied with my performance. I have already secured a medal. But it doesn’t matter because I am looking ahead,” Ankush said, making clear that a podium finish alone was not his target.
Sachin’s run ends
The only setback for India came in the men’s 60kg category, where Sachin was unable to overcome home favourite Kitamoto. The Commonwealth Games champion lost 0-5, bringing his Asian Games campaign to an end one victory short of the medal rounds.
The defeat denied India the possibility of securing four boxing medals on the day, but victories for Parveen, Narender and Ankush ensured a strong quarterfinal return. With all three now guaranteed at least bronze, attention will turn to whether they can convert those assured podium finishes into places in the gold-medal bouts.