Ankush Panghal on Sunday assured India of at least a bronze medal in boxing as he overcame Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov in the men’s 80kg quarterfinal at the Asian Games 2026.
The 20-year-old from Haryana secured a unanimous 5-0 decision. Although the final round went against Ankush, with the judges ruling the round 4-1 in favour of Salimov, the Indian had done enough in the previous two rounds to secure the contest.
Ankush will next take on Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev in the last-four, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 11am IST.
Later on Sunday, India will also have Sachin and Narender in men’s 70kg and +90kg quarterfinals, respectively, as well as Parveen in the women’s 65kg category.
Published on Sep 27, 2026
