Asian Games 2026: Boxer Ankush confirms medal for India, reaches 80 kg semifinal

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 27 (ANI): Indian pugilist Ankush Panghal confirmed his nation a medal in males’s 80 kg boxing on the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya 2026, beating Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov within the quarterfinals on Sunday. 

As per ESPN, Ankush beat Nekruz 5-0 within the quarterfinals by way of unanimous resolution. 

Ankush’s velocity and punching have been a category aside in opposition to the Tajik boxer. Nekruz was making an attempt to counter-punch and defend within the first spherical, whereas Ankush was actually proactive together with his punches, particularly the correct hooks. The Indian took the primary spherical 5-0.

In the second spherical as properly, Ankush began off with a unbelievable left hook and was extraordinarily fast, making certain some further blows have been delivered on Nekruz’s physique. The Tajik did make a robust uppercut, however was met with some robust counter-punches. Ankush was aggressive all through and took the second spherical as properly 5-0. 

In the ultimate spherical, the Tajik boxer continued to endure and received determined within the remaining moments. A slugfest adopted, and he tried to knock out Ankush, however the Indian managed to defend himself properly. Salimov gained the spherical 4-1, however Ankush gained the bout 5-0 by way of unanimous resolution purely on the idea of dominance within the first two rounds. 

Ankush will face a troublesome problem within the quarterfinals in opposition to the present 75 kg world champion, Fazliddin Erkinboev of Uzbekistan on September 29. 

Meanwhile, Team India has loved a combined run throughout different sports activities. In fencing, the Indian ladies’s sabre crew of Bhavani Devi, Shreya Gupta, Jefarlin Jani Rexlin Simla and S. Shruti Joshi fell 45-35 to Uzbekistan within the quarter-finals, placing an finish of India’s fencing problem on the Asian Games. 

Indian athletes Murali Sreeshankar and David Patturaj Solomon made it to the finals of the boys’s lengthy bounce. Sreeshankar completed second in Group B with a greatest try of seven.84 m, whereas David Solomon completed at third spot with a greatest bounce of seven.62 m in Group A. 

Also, Indian athletes delivered some good news from the ladies’s 400 m hurdles heats, with each Vithya Ramraj and Anu Raghavan making it to the finals of the occasion. They each completed at second spot of their respective heats. While Vithya clocked a season-best of 55.73, Anu delivered her private better of 55.84 m. 

In Kurash, India made a number of fast exits. India’s Vishal bowed out within the males’s +90 kg quarterfinals with a 0-5 loss to Thailand’s Kunathip Yea-On. Sangita Balhara misplaced 10-0 to Charmea Quelino of the Philippines in her spherical of 32 fixture. In the spherical of 16, Bharti misplaced 3-0 to Iran’s Tahereh Azarpeivand, and Yash Kumar misplaced 10-0 to Tajikistan’s Shakarmamad Mirmamadov.

Tejaswin Shankar dropped from first place to 3rd following the conclusion of the discus throw occasion within the decathlon on Sunday. 

Prior to the discus throw occasion, Tejaswin was on the high of the desk within the decathlon, having delivered a third-place end within the 110m hurdles warmth, with a time of 14.33 seconds for 932 factors. He was within the lead with 5,270 factors and in line for gold. 

But within the discus throw, he completed third together with his greatest throw of 36.77 m, 4 metres wanting his greatest, as per ESPN. With 5,869 factors, he has dropped down to 3rd spot, with China and Japan occupying the highest two spots. 

The remaining two occasions of the decathlon, the pole vault and javelin throw, aren’t precisely Tejaswin’s strengths. 

India’s Manju Rani had a disappointing outing within the ladies’s marathon race stroll, ending sixth with a time of three:40:17, whereas Priyanka Goswami was disqualified after the 9 km mark. 

India loved a robust outing within the archery combined crew occasions on the Asian Games on Sunday, with Dhiraj Bommadevara-Kumkum Mohod and Sahil Jadhav-Chikitha Taniparthi advancing to the semifinals in recurve and compound, respectively.

Dhiraj and Kumkum adopted up their Round of 16 win over the UAE with one other comfy victory, defeating Vietnam 6-0 within the quarterfinals of the recurve combined crew occasion, in keeping with ESPN. The Indian pair will face Japan within the semifinals on October 2.

Sahil and Chikitha additionally secured a convincing quarterfinal victory, beating Kazakhstan 159-154 within the compound combined crew occasion after earlier overcoming Mongolia within the Round of 16. India will tackle Thailand within the compound combined crew semifinals on September 30.

The nation’s archers additionally progressed to the semifinals of each the boys’s and ladies’s compound crew occasions, including to India’s robust displaying in archery on the Games.

Coming to browsing, Sivaraj Babu superior to spherical three within the males’s shortboard occasion, outclassing Iran’s Davoud Khadir with a rating of 8.96 (4.83+4.13 throughout two waves). He joins compatriot Kishore Kumar within the spherical three, with all 4 Indian surfers within the males’s and ladies’s shortboard having progressed. 

Earlier, Sugar Shanti Gayen and Kamali Prakash made it to the third spherical. 

Sugar Shanti beat Chen Wan-yu of Chinese Taipei (5.40) with a rating of seven.33, scoring 3.83 factors in her first wave and three.50 in her second. 

Kamali Prakash beat Singapore’s Camille Marie Spaccarotella, scoring 7.57, with 4.17 factors coming within the first wave and three.40 coming within the second wave. Her opponent’s rating was 4.50. (ANI)