Indian boxer Narender Berwal won the men’s +90kg bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 after losing 5-0 to reigning world champion Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan in the semi-finals at the Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi on Tuesday.

It was Narender Berwal’s second successive Asian Games bronze medal. He had also finished third in the men’s +92kg category at Hangzhou 2023.

Oralbay controlled much of Tuesday’s contest, while Narender looked to close the distance and find openings. The Indian received a standing count in the final round before the Kazakh completed a unanimous victory.

“I gave my 100 per cent in the match,” Narender said. “However, I wasn’t able to fully execute the plan my coaches set out to fight at a distance.

“My opponent was more powerful and faster than me. Because he was the world No. 1, he had that edge, which made it a tough fight.”

Narender started his campaign against Adthapong Saengtep of Thailand in the quarter-finals, where the referee stopped the contest before losing to Oralbay. The Indian received a bye in the round of 16.

While Narender settled for bronze, Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal progressed to their respective gold-medal bouts earlier on Tuesday.

Ankush Panghal stuns world champion

Ankush pulled off a major upset in the men’s 80kg semi-finals, defeating Uzbekistan’s reigning 75kg world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1. 

The victory made Ankush the first Indian male boxer in eight years to reach an Asian Games final.

Parveen, meanwhile, beat People’s Republic of China’s Li Shu 5-0 in the women’s 65kg semi-finals and will face Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin for gold.

Narender, Parveen and Ankush were three of the six Indian boxers who had already assured themselves of medals by reaching the semi-finals at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

Under the Boxing Federation of India’s selection criteria, Asian Games medallists will be selected as the main entries in their respective weight categories for the World Boxing Championships 2027.

The World Championships in Kazakhstan will be the first qualifying event in boxing for the LA 2028 Olympics.

Three more Indian boxers will compete in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain will take on reigning 70kg world champion Natalya Bogdanova of Kazakhstan in the women’s 75kg semi-finals.

Priya Ghanghas will face China’s Yang Chengyu in the women’s 60kg last four, while Kapil Pokhariya takes on Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev in the men’s 90kg semi-finals.