Asian Boxing Championships 2026: Preeti upsets Olympic medallist Aeji Im

India’s women’s boxing team continued its strong run at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026, with Preeti Pawar, Priya and Arundhati Choudhary advancing to their respective finals in Ulaanbaatar on Monday.

Preeti delivered one of the standout performances of the day in the 54kg category, defeating Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aeji Im of Korea by a unanimous 5-0 decision. The Indian boxer controlled all three rounds with precision and composure to secure her place in the gold medal bout. She will next face Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-wen, a multiple-time world champion, in the final.

In the 60kg division, Priya registered a dominant 5-0 win over Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor, ensuring her progression to the final. She is set to take on North Korea’s Un Gyong Won in the title clash.

Arundhati Choudhary also impressed in the 70kg category, securing a 4-1 victory over Uzbekistan’s Oysha Toirova to book her place in the final, where she will meet Kazakhstan’s Bakyt Seidish.

Mixed results for other Indian Boxers

While India celebrated multiple finalists, several boxers bowed out in the semifinal stage. Ankushita Boro lost 0-3 to Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen in the 65kg category, with the bout decided on points after a power outage interrupted proceedings.

Nikhat Zareen suffered a 0-5 defeat against China’s Olympic champion Wu Yu in the 51kg semifinals. Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani also exited after unanimous decision losses in their respective categories.

With four Indian boxers now through to the finals and more semifinal bouts scheduled, India’s campaign continues to build momentum at the continental event.