Parveen Hooda Clinches Women's 65kg Gold at Asian Games
Indian boxer Parveen Hooda secures a dramatic gold medal in the women's 65kg event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating Chen Nien-Chen.
Indian boxer Parveen Hooda secured a spectacular gold medal in the women's 65 kg event at the ongoing Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. In a high-stakes final on Friday, Hooda defeated Chinese Taipei's Chen Nien-Chen via a nail-biting 3-2 split decision, marking a massive moment of redemption for the Indian pugilist.
This victory serves as a significant comeback for Hooda, who previously missed out on a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games due to a doping whereabouts failure. Defeating a former world champion to claim the top spot on the podium cements her status as one of the elite boxers in the continent.
A Tactical Battle in the Ring
The final was a display of intense strategy and grit. Hooda began the match with caution, absorbing several jabs from Chen but responding effectively with well-timed counter-punches and body shots. The opening round saw India take a commanding 5-0 lead.
The momentum shifted in the second round as Chen fought back to claim the frame. In the final round, the match became a tense affair. While Chen attempted to use her jabs to control the distance, Hooda remained composed, utilizing quick 1-2 combinations. As the match reached its climax, Chen launched several desperate punches, but Hooda met them with precise counters to secure the split decision victory.
A Golden Day for India
Parveen's triumph marks India's second boxing gold of the tournament, following Lovlina Borgohain's dominant 5-0 victory in the women's 75 kg category. Borgohain also celebrated her 29th birthday with the gold medal win against China's Bao Ziyi.
India's medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya games continues to climb, reaching 73 medals in total, consisting of:
- 13 Gold medals
- 25 Silver medals
- 35 Bronze medals
Historic Wins in Archery and Sepaktakraw
The sporting triumphs in Japan extended beyond the boxing ring. In a historic feat for Indian archery, the women's recurve team—comprising Kumkum Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, and Kirti Sharma—defeated South Korea 5-3 to claim India's first-ever gold in this discipline at the Asian Games.
The 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod emerged as the hero of the final, delivering two crucial 10s in the closing moments to stun the dominant South Korean side. Earlier in the day, Kumkum and Dhiraj Bommadevara also secured a silver medal in the mixed recurve archery team event.
In other disciplines:
- Sepaktakraw: The Indian men's quadrant (Malemnganba Singh Sorokhaibam, Ram Kumar Sharma, Bobby Kumar, and Akash Yumnam) secured a bronze medal after a hard-fought battle against Japan in the semifinals.
- Sailing: Nethra Kumanan earned a bronze medal in the women's dinghy event, showing incredible resilience to recover in the final race.