India’s boxing revival faces the Asian test: Can the country turn its resurgence into medals?

India’s boxing revival is about to face its toughest test. After a record-breaking Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow, the Indian contingent heads to the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, hoping to carry that momentum into a far more demanding arena.

Indian boxing returned from Glasgow with record seven gold and three silver medals, underlining the progress made by the sport in recent years.

Also Read: Asian Games: India won a record 107 medals at Hangzhou. Can the 2026 contingent go beyond that?


The Asian Games, however, will offer a very different challenge.

The continental competition will bring together some of the strongest boxing nations in the world, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Thailand, South Korea and Mongolia.

Glasgow success raises the expectations

The 2026 Commonwealth Games provided India with its strongest indication yet that its boxing programme is moving forward. Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal won gold in Glasgow. Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, Lovlina Borgohain and Narender Berwal added silver medals.

The results were particularly significant for the women, with several younger boxers emerging as medal contenders.

Also Read: Asian Games 2026: Can India retain both men’s and women’s gold medals in cricket?

However, two of India's Glasgow champions will not compete in Aichi-Nagoya. Jaismine Lamboria in the 57kg category and Arundhati Choudhary in the 70kg category miss out because their weight divisions are not part of the Asian Games programme.

This leaves India with a smaller group to compete at the mega tournament in Japan.

Women carry much of India’s medal hopes

Among India’s boxers heading to Japan, Lovlina Borgohain carries the biggest medal hopes. The Olympic bronze medallist and world champion is the most decorated boxer in the squad, having won silver at the 2023 Asian Games and followed it with another silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She will once again be one of India’s leading contenders for a medal.

Additionally, another boxer to watch out for is Sakshi Chaudhary who will make her Asian Games debut in the 51kg category after beating Minakshi Hooda in the trials and edging out Nikhat Zareen. Her recent rise makes her one of India's key medal prospects.

Preeti Pawar enters the 54kg category as a Commonwealth gold medallist and a 2023 Asian Games bronze medallist. Her previous continental medal gives her an advantage in experience, while her recent form adds to expectations around her campaign. Priya Ghanghas will make her Asian Games debut in the 60kg category after winning Commonwealth gold. Her Glasgow performance also gave her momentum before her first appearance at the continental event.

Parveen Hooda moved up to 65kg after winning bronze at the 2023 Asian Games at 57kg. She also secured an Olympic quota for Paris 2024 and remains a potential dark horse in her new category.

Tougher fight for Men

When compared to the women, Indian men have not produced the same level of results in recent years, but the Glasgow campaign offered signs of progress.

Sachin Siwach enters the 60kg category as a Commonwealth champion and one of India's strongest men's medal prospects.

Ankush Panghal will compete in the 80kg category after winning Commonwealth gold. His Glasgow title gives the Asian Games debutant a strong platform going into Aichi-Nagoya.

Jadumani Singh Mandengbam will also make his continental debut after winning silver in Glasgow. Sumit Kundu and Kapil Pokhariya, meanwhile, will look to make deeper runs after early exits at the Commonwealth Games.

Narender Berwal brings something the other men's boxers do not: Asian Games medal-winning experience. He won bronze in the +92kg category at Hangzhou 2023 and followed it with Commonwealth silver in Glasgow.

That combination of experience and recent form makes Berwal an important part of India's men's medal hopes.

Asian Games will reveal how far the revival has gone

India has a long record in Asian Games boxing, with 61 medals making it one of the country's biggest medal-producing sports at the event.

But gold medals have been harder to come by in recent editions. Amit Panghal won India's last men's boxing gold at the 2018 Asian Games, while MC Mary Kom was the last Indian woman to achieve the feat.

At Hangzhou in 2023, India's boxers won five medals – one silver and four bronze. Lovlina took silver, while Nikhat Zareen, Preeti Pawar, Parveen Hooda and Narender Berwal won bronze.

The Aichi-Nagoya squad will now try to improve on that return.

A strong medal haul in Aichi-Nagoya would not only confirm the progress made since Hangzhou but also offer an important indication of India's prospects on the road to the 2028 Olympics.