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Preeti Pawar Stuns Olympic Medalist, Leads India's Charge at Asian Boxing C'ships

Indian boxer Preeti Pawar secured a spot in the women's 54kg final by defeating Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aeji Im of Korea. She will face Chinese Taipei's three-time world champion Huang Hsiao-wen for the gold medal. Teammates Priya and Arundhati Choudhary also advanced to their respective finals with commanding victories. However, notable exits included Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, who lost their semifinal bouts.

Key Points: India's Preeti Pawar Reaches Asian Boxing Final After Beating Olympic Medalist

  • Preeti beats Olympic bronze medalist
  • Priya & Arundhati also reach finals
  • Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain exit
  • Four Indian boxers in title bouts
2 min read

Asian Boxing C'ships 2026: Preeti downs Paris Olympics Bronze Medalist Aeji Im to reach final

Preeti Pawar defeats Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aeji Im to reach the 54kg final. Priya and Arundhati Choudhary also advance to gold medal bouts.

"delivered a composed and clinical performance - Boxing Federation of India"

Ulaanbaatar, April 6

India's Bantamweight dynamo Preeti Pawar downed Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aeji Im of Korea to book her place in the 54kg Elite Women's final at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026 on Monday.

Indian women's team's Priya and Arundhati Choudhary also joined Preeti in the title bouts, easing past their respective semifinal opponents in Ulaanbaatar, as per a Boxing Federation of India (BFI) press release.

In the women's 54 kg semifinal, Preeti, gold medallist from the World Boxing Cup Finals, delivered a composed and clinical performance.

She will now face Chinese Taipei's Huang Hsiao-wen, a three-time World Champion (2019, 2023, 2025) and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, in a marquee gold medal clash.

In the women's 60kg category, Priya produced a commanding display to defeat Namuun Monkhor (MGL) by a 5-0 unanimous decision, sealing her spot in the final. She will now take on North Korea's Un Gyong Won in the title bout.

In the women's 65kg category, Ankushita Boro went down 0-3 to Chinese Taipei's Nien-Chin Chen, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist, in the semifinals. The bout was interrupted due to a power supply issue after the first round, following which the result was decided based on points.

In the women's 70kg category, Arundhati impressed with a 4-1 victory over Oysha Toirova (UZB), showcasing control and composure to progress to the final. She is set to face Kazakhstan's Bakyt Seidish next.

Meanwhile, in the women's 51kg category, Nikhat Zareen went down 0-5 to China's Wu Yu, the reigning Olympic gold medallist and one of the most dominant boxers in the division, in the semifinals.

In the women's 75kg category, Lovlina Borgohain suffered a 0-5 defeat to Uzbekistan's Aziza Zokirova, a World Championships bronze medallist in the 70kg category, known for her aggressive style and strong international performances.

In the women's 80kg category, Pooja Rani bowed out after a 0-5 loss to Kazakhstan's Nadezhda Ryabets, a 2023 World Championships bronze medallist and an experienced campaigner.

With four boxers already through to the finals, India's campaign continues with two more semifinal bouts in the women's 48kg and 57kg categories scheduled for April 7.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
It's great to see Priya and Arundhati also performing so well. But the losses for Nikhat and Lovlina are a bit concerning. They are our star boxers. Hope they bounce back stronger for the next tournament.
V
Vikram M
The power supply issue during Ankushita's bout is unfortunate. Must have been distracting. But overall, 4 finalists is a solid performance. Jai Hind!
P
Priya S
Preeti's final against the Chinese Taipei boxer will be a real test. Huang is a three-time world champion! But our girls have shown they can take on the best. All the best for the gold medal bouts!
R
Rohit P
Respect to all the boxers. The competition at this level is fierce. Even reaching the semis is a huge achievement. Let's focus on supporting the four in the finals now. Chak De India!
K
Kavya N
While we celebrate the wins, we must also look at why our top boxers lost. Were they out-strategized? The federation needs to analyze this properly. Continuous improvement is key.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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