Aichi-Nagoya, 27 September (H.S.): Indian boxer Ankush Panghal has secured a medal for the country in boxing after advancing to the semi-finals of the men’s 80kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Panghal defeated Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov 5-0 by unanimous decision in the quarter-final on Sunday.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) Media, in a post on the social media platform ‘X’, said, “Asian Games Boxing (Men’s 80kg – Quarter-Final): Ankush defeated Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov 5-0 (unanimous decision) and secured a place in the semi-finals. This has assured India of a medal. Ankush’s semi-final bout will be held on September 29 at 11 a.m. (IST).”

Ankush, who hails from Haryana, adopted an aggressive approach from the very beginning and maintained sustained pressure on Salimov. The Tajikistani boxer attempted to launch counter-attacks, but struggled to match Ankush’s speed and accurate punches. All five judges scored the opening round in favour of the Indian boxer.

Ankush continued with his fast-paced style in the second round as well. Maintaining a constant attacking approach, he landed several effective punches on Salimov and took the round.

In the third and final round, the Tajikistani boxer increased his pace and managed to land several punches. He won the round 4-1, but Ankush’s advantage from the opening two rounds was strong enough for the Indian to secure a unanimous-decision victory.

With this win, Ankush has moved another step closer to the gold medal, while India has secured at least one medal in the boxing competition.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar