Ankush Panghal wins Asian Games boxing gold in Japan

Indian boxer Ankush Panghal won gold in the men's 80kg final at the Asian Games in Nishio, Japan, defeating South Korea's Minseong Kim 4-0 on points and ending India's eight-year wait for a men's boxing gold at the event. Panghal, 21, from Hisar, dominated the bout with scores of 4-1, 5-0, and 4-1 across the three rounds, using crisp punches and movement against the aggressive southpaw. He earlier beat Bahrain's Hamsa Vogel and Tajikistan's Nekruz Salimov 5-0, and overcame Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1 in the semifinals. Once mocked as a 'dwarf' for his small frame, Panghal switched from kabaddi to boxing at age 11, training under Pradeep Sawant in Haryana. He won Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow in 2025 and now adds the Asian Games title, calling it his best year with two major gold medals.