Asian Games boxing draw hands Lovlina and Narender tough quarterfinal starts

On September 20, 2026, India’s boxing contingent was handed a difficult route at the Asian Games, with several medal contenders drawn against Olympic and world medallists and key fighters, including Lovlina Borgohain and Narender Berwal, set to begin in the quarterfinals.

India’s challenge opens with Lovlina Borgohain and Narender Berwal entering the competition at the quarterfinal stage; Lovlina is a Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist and a silver medallist from the 2023 Asian Games, while Narender is the only Indian male boxer to medal at the previous Asian Games. The overall draw pairs several Indian hopefuls against opponents who have won Olympic or world-level medals, increasing the immediate difficulty for the squad.

Lovlina will start her 75kg campaign against South Korea’s Suyeon Seong; a victory in that quarterfinal would secure her an Asian Games medal. If she progresses, the semifinal could pit her against Kazakhstan’s reigning 70kg world champion Natalya Bogdanova or Uzbekistan’s world bronze medallist Aziza Zokirova.

Narender begins in the +90kg category facing Thailand’s Adthapong Saengtep in the quarters. A potential semifinal opponent for him is Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay, the reigning world champion named in the draw.

Other Indian women face challenging openings: Commonwealth Games champion Sakshi Chaudhary has been drawn against Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aira Villegas of the Philippines in the 51kg bracket, and Priya Ghanghas meets South Korea’s Oh Yeonji, a former Asian Games champion and three-time Asian champion. Preeti Pawar received a first-round bye but could meet defending Asian Games champion Pang Chol-mi in the 54kg quarterfinals, while Parveen Hooda starts her 65kg campaign against Tajikistan’s Hozimova.

On the men’s side beyond Narender, Jadumani Singh, Sachin Siwach, Sumit Kundu and Ankush Panghal have all been placed on demanding paths according to the published draw. The groupings leave little margin for an easy start for those boxers.

Under the Boxing Federation of India’s selection policy, Asian Games medallists will earn direct qualification for next year’s World Championships in Kazakhstan, which is the first Olympic qualifying event ahead of Los Angeles 2028.