Preeti Pawar and Deepak from India made a strong start at the 2026 Asian Boxing Championships in Mongolia. In the women’s 54kg category, Preeti Pawar, a gold medallist at the World Boxing Cup Finals, secured a convincing 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova, a former Asian U22 champion. Meanwhile, in the men’s 70kg category, Deepak narrowly defeated Uzbekistan’s Khavasbek Asadullaev with a 3-2 split decision.
The Indian team began their campaign with two wins in the initial phase of the tournament. The Asian Boxing Championships 2026 features top boxing talent from across the continent, with early matches being as challenging as the later rounds due to the high level of competition. The draw on Sunday set up key opening bouts and matchups across different weight categories.
In upcoming bouts, Preeti is scheduled to face Bazarova in the 54 kg category, while Priya will take on Rimma Volossenko from Kazakhstan in the 60 kg category. Additionally, Minakshi is set to compete against Japan’s Yuka Sadamatsu, and Pooja Rani will go up against Kazakhstan’s Nadezhda Ryabets. Several other Indian boxers have advanced to the next stage with byes, as confirmed by the Boxing Federation of India.
On the men’s side, Vishvanath Suresh will face Bekzat Ergeshov from Kyrgyzstan, while Jadumani Singh is up against top seed Rui Yamaguchi from Japan in a challenging 55 kg bout. Sachin, Aditya Pratap Singh, and others are also gearing up for crucial matches in their respective weight categories. The Indian contingent is showing promise in the early stages of the championship.
