Parveen Hooda adds to India’s golden haul as boxing shines and Asian Games medal tally crosses 70

Indian boxer Parveen Hooda clinched gold in Asian Games women's 65kg category on Friday (2 October), defeating Paris Olympic bronze-medallist Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei in a tense 3-2 split decision. Her victory earned India's 13th gold medal and pushed the country's overall total to 73 medals — comprising 13 gold, 25 silver, and 35 bronze — placing India sixth in the overall standings.

The 65kg final proved a closely fought affair. Parveen started cautiously before connecting with effective body shots and combinations to claim the opening round 5-0 on all cards. Chen, a former world champion and 2026 Asian champion, rallied in the second round with sharp jabs to win it 10-9 across the board. With the bout level, Parveen weathered early pressure in the decider, relying on tactical counter-punching and quick combinations to edge the win. The gold marks a major personal turnaround for Parveen, whose Hangzhou Asian Games medal was revoked due to a doping violation, followed by an early quarterfinal exit at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Earlier in the day, Lovlina Borgohain won India's 12th gold on her 29th birthday by defeating China's Ziyi Bao 5-0 in the 75kg final. The victory upgraded Lovlina's previous silver and ended a 12-year drought for Indian women's boxing titles at the Games. Together, Parveen and Lovlina became the first Indian women boxers to claim two gold medals at a single Asian Games edition, joining legend MC Mary Kom in an elite club.

Archery triumph and team momentum

Indian boxers assured six medals in Aichi-Nagoya, bettering their performance from the last edition following a successful campaign at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg), and Narender Berwal (+90kg) secured bronze medals, whilst Ankush prepared for his gold-medal bout, with India's best-ever nine-medal record dating back to Guangzhou 2010. 

Beyond the ring, India's women's recurve archery team — Ankita Bhakat, Kirti, and Kumkum Mohod — made history by defeating 2024 Paris Olympic champions South Korea for their first-ever gold. India added silvers in the recurve mixed and men's team events. Further contributions included a bronze for the men's sepaktakraw quadrant team, Sujeet advancing to the 65kg wrestling final, and an upcoming women's hockey final against China.