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Parveen Hooda celebrates after clinching Asian Games gold (Img: X)
Nagoya-Aichi: Indian boxer Parveen Hooda held her nerve in a tense final to win the women’s 65kg gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday. She defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-Chen 3-2 in a closely fought split decision.
Parveen started cautiously, looking to maintain distance and counter whenever Chen moved forward. Her measured approach paid off as she landed clean counters and combinations, including effective body shots, to take the opening round unanimously.
Chen responded strongly in the second round, using quick combinations to close the distance. Her pressure and clean punches were enough to level the contest, leaving the gold medal to be decided in the final round.
The deciding round remained fiercely contested. Chen came out aggressively, but Parveen absorbed the pressure and began finding openings with sharp combinations. As the bout entered its closing stages, the Indian boxer relied on counter-punching and composure to edge ahead.
The judges ultimately awarded Parveen the bout 3-2, sparking celebrations as she secured Asian Games gold.
The victory marks a significant turnaround in Parveen’s career. Her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games was revoked following a suspension for a whereabouts violation, while she also missed the Paris Olympics during that period.
Parveen had fought her way back to the Asian Games final by defeating China’s Li Shu in the semifinal. She now leaves Aichi-Nagoya with the gold medal after overcoming another major challenge in the final.
Her victory also added another boxing gold for India on a memorable day, after Lovlina Borgohain won the women’s 75kg title earlier on Friday.
