India's Ankush Panghal won the gold medal in the men's 80 kg boxing category at the 2026 Asian Games. In the final match, Ankush defeated Kim Minseong of South Korea by a 4-0 split decision. With this, India ended its boxing tournament at the Asian Games with a total of 6 medals, which include 3 gold and 3 bronze.
Ankush adopted an aggressive stance from the beginning of the match. He put pressure on Kim through right hooks and uppercuts in the opening round. The South Korean boxer was trying to counter-attack while maintaining distance. However, he did not appear to be very effective against Ankush's continuous strikes. Ankush had taken a 4-1 lead in the first round. In the second round, Ankush maintained his dominance with quick 1-2 punches and counter-attacks. Both boxers fired body shots. But, Ankush's speed and aggression kept him ahead. He won the second round 5–0.
In the final round, Kim tried to make a comeback and landed some good punches; But Ankush maintained his lead. The final score of the four judges was 30-26 in favor of Ankush and the Indian boxer won the gold medal by winning the match 4-0. With this win, Ankush became the first Indian male boxer to win a gold medal in men's boxing at the Asian Games since 2018. Earlier, Amit Panghal had won the gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games.
With Ankush's win, India's boxing campaign at the 2026 Asian Games ends with 3 gold and 3 bronze medals. This was India's most successful campaign in boxing at the Asian Games in terms of number of gold medals. India had won a total of 4 medals in the 2022 Asian Games. This included 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. India has won a total of 75 medals so far in the 2026 Asian Games. This includes 15 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze medals. India has now reached fifth place in the medal table.
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