Asian Boxing Championships 2026: India’s Preeti Pawar, Deepak enter quarterfinals
India’s Preeti Pawar and Deepak made an impressive start at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026 in Mongolia, registering hard-fought victories against quality opposition on Monday.
In the women’s 54kg category, Preeti Pawar, gold medallist at the World Boxing Cup Finals, delivered a commanding performance to secure a 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova, a former Asian Under-22 champion (2025). Against a highly accomplished opponent, Preeti’s clinical win marked a strong statement to open her campaign.
In the men’s 70kg category, Deepak, silver medallist at the Boxam Elite International 2026 and a bronze medallist at the Asian Youth Boxing Championships 2022, delivered a composed performance to edge past Uzbekistan’s Khavasbek Asadullaev with a 3-2 split decision win. Facing an opponent from Uzbekistan, a nation widely regarded as a powerhouse in amateur boxing, Deepak showed tactical discipline and resilience to come through a closely contested bout.
With two wins from two bouts, the Indian contingent made a perfect start to its campaign in the opening phase of the tournament.
Preeti will meet Mongolia’s Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg in the quarterfinals, while Deepak will take on Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash in the last-eight.
Published on Mar 30, 2026