Nishio, Oct 2 (IANS) Parveen Hooda ended her long wait for an Asian Games medal in style as the 26-year-old Indian boxer clinched gold in the women’s 65kg category, giving India its second women’s boxing gold at the ongoing Asian Games 2026.

Parveen won the closely contested final against Nien-chin Che of Chinese Taipei on Friday, coming after Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain had earlier secured gold in the women's 75kg event.

Rohtak born boxer began well by winning the first round 5-0, but Che responded in the second round and also won that round 5-0. In the final round Parveen kept her composure and won the round 3-2, thus securing the gold medal.

This achievement represents a major milestone for Parveen, who had earlier secured a gold medal at the 2025 World Cup, obtained a bronze at the 2022 World Championships and had won gold at the 2022 Asian Championships.

Parveen is now the third Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games; legendary MC Mary Kom had won the women's 51kg event at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Lovlina having added her second gold earlier on Friday.

Lovlina, who reached her 29th birthday on Friday, secured India's first women's boxing gold in 12 years in the 75kg final by beating China's Ziyi Bao 5-0.

The woman who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics managed to improve on the silver medal she had earned at the last edition by giving a dominant performance against Bao, and as a result secured herself a perfect birthday present.

Lovlina is also only the second Indian woman since Mary Kom to have won a boxing gold medal at the Asian Games and an Olympic medal.

Mary Kom won the flyweight (51kg) title at the Asian Games in Incheon in 2014 and also secured a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

On the same day as both Parveen and Lovlina won gold medals, India achieved a historic double in women's boxing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

--IANS

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