Before Ankush Panghal entered the ring for his semifinal match against Fazliddin Erkinboev at the Asian Games on Tuesday, India’s men’s boxing coach, CA Kutappa, provided him with crucial insights. Utilizing footage from a previous fight, Kutappa highlighted the areas where the Uzbek boxer typically landed punches and identified potential vulnerabilities.
This strategic preparation was essential, as Erkinboev holds the title of world champion in the 75kg weight class and, despite moving up to the 80kg category for this tournament in Aichi-Nagoya, remained a significant threat.
The coaching team and Panghal agreed that employing a mix of right hooks and left jabs could be effective against the world champion, particularly given Erkinboev’s susceptibility to southpaw fighters. As both competitors are left-handed, Ankush began the first round focusing solely on his left jabs, while Erkinboev utilized a combination of left straight punches and right hooks. Erkinboev, who had previously achieved a knockout victory over Sri Lankan boxer Muhammad Usait Yazmin in the quarterfinals, edged the first round with a 4-1 split decision.
“Ankush adjusted his strategy slightly towards the end of the first round, which meant that not all five judges awarded the round to Erkinboev,” Kutappa noted.
In the second round, Ankush quickly implemented his tactics, successfully landing left crosses and right hooks while maintaining distance to avoid the Uzbek’s attacks. After winning the second round 3-2 according to the judges, Ankush adapted his approach to engage more closely, frequently switching styles in the final round to secure a 5-0 victory and advance to the gold medal match.
“The second round was crucial, and Ankush controlled the action well. The emphasis was on the left cross and right hook, as well as uppercuts to impress the judges. After winning the second round, which leveled the bout, Ankush fought effectively at close and medium range. He possesses the skill to blend straight and cross punches, and his strikes from both hands are strong. It’s commendable that he maintained his composure and tactical clarity after the first round,” the coach remarked, expressing optimism for the upcoming final against Kim Minseong of Korea.
In another highlight, Parveen Hooda became the third Indian female boxer to reach the Asian Games final, joining the ranks of Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain. Hooda, who had previously defeated Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova, a silver medalist from the 2025 World Championships, secured a 5-0 victory against China’s Li Shu in the 65kg division. Li had previously eliminated world champion Aida Abikeyeva of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals.
Hooda navigated a closely contested first round, winning 3-2 before dominating the subsequent rounds with unanimous decisions. She is set to face Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei, a bronze medalist from the Paris Olympics, in the final, aiming to become only the second Indian female boxer to earn an Asian Games gold medal.
“We recognized that the Chinese boxer tends to rush in, creating challenges. Therefore, the focus for Parveen was on counterpunching and evading attacks. Her left jab and right hook proved effective. Chen Nien-chin had previously lost to Lovlina at the Tokyo Olympics but has since developed into a formidable competitor at 65kg,” explained Indian women’s head coach Santiago Nieva.
Meanwhile, Narender Berwal concluded his campaign with a bronze medal after suffering a 0-5 loss to world champion Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan in the +90kg semifinal.
Nitin Sharma serves as an Assistant Editor on the sports team for The Indian Express. Based in Chandigarh, he contributes to both the print sports desk and online news coverage. A recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2017 for his investigative piece “Harmans of Moga,” Nitin has also been honored multiple times with Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity. His most recent award was granted in November 2025 for an article featuring Deepthi Jeevanji, who secured India’s first gold medal at the World Athletics Para Championship.
Nitin primarily focuses on Olympic sports, particularly boxing, shooting, wrestling, and athletics, and has spent 17 years with The Indian Express, uncovering stories across India. He also covers cricket, including women’s cricket. His experience includes reporting on significant events such as the Commonwealth Games, ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships.
A graduate of the School of Communication Studies at Panjab University, Nitin holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communications and is an enthusiastic quizzer. His interest in quizzing began in his hometown of Talwara Township, located near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. Outside of his reporting duties, Nitin enjoys exploring new trekking routes in the mountains or spending leisure time by the river Beas in his hometown.
