Asian Games: Narender Berwal wins bronze in heavyweight boxing as Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal reach final

NEW DELHI: India’s Narender Berwal clinched a bronze medal in men’s 90kg boxing at the Asian Games after losing his semi-final bout to reigning world champion Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.Narender struggled to match Oralbay’s pace and power in a one-sided fight and was trailing 0-5 on the judges’ scorecards. The Indian boxer lost all three rounds by unanimous decision and missed out on a spot in the gold fight.Despite Narender’s defeat, it was a productive day for Indian boxing as Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal won their semi-finals to advance to the final. The pair’s victories helped India surpass its haul of four medals from the previous edition, with six Indian boxers now securing medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.Asian Games full coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule

Narender cannot trouble the reigning world champion

Oralbay took the lead from the opening bell, winning the first round 5-0 and putting Narender under immediate pressure. The Indian needed a strong response in the second round but the Kazakh boxer continued to dominate and secured another 5-0 verdict on the judges’ cards.Narender failed to convert in the final round which Oralbay also won 5-0. A semifinal loss ended the Indian’s run at the Games, but he walks away with a bronze medal after making it to the last four in the heavyweight division.

Parveen, Ankush rush into the gold medal fights

Earlier, Parveen defeated China’s Li Shu 5-0 in the women’s 65kg semi-final to book her place in the final. The victory marks an improvement on her bronze medal finish in Hangzhou, a result that was later annulled after the International Testing Agency suspended her for 22 months due to a whereabouts error.Parveen also became only the third Indian female boxer to reach the finals of the Asian Games, after MC Mary Kom, who won gold in 2014, and Lovlina Borgohain, who won silver in the previous edition.Ankush then produced a stirring comeback in the men’s 80kg semi-final as he came from behind to defeat Uzbekistan’s reigning world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev. After losing the opening round 4-1, Ankush stormed into the second 3-2 and swept the final round 5-0 to book his place in the gold medal match.Narender’s bronze and two semi-final wins added to India’s medal tally in boxing, with six wrestlers securing medal positions at the Games.