Asian Games: Sachin one win away from boxing medal after scrappy last-16 victory

Sachin Siwach (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Indian boxer Sachin Siwach moved to the men’s 60kg quarterfinals at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday, beating Jordan’s Mohammad Adnan Abu Jajeh in a hard-fought contest to move within one win of securing a medal.The Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who received a first-round bye, had to dig deep to overcome his Jordanian opponent in a bout that turned into a tactical battle after an aggressive start. Sachin eventually secured a split-decision victory, keeping India’s hopes alive in the men’s 60kg category.

Sachin will next face Japan’s Shunsuke Kitamoto, a World Championships bronze medallist, in the quarterfinal.

A win would assure the Indian of a medal at the continental Games.Asian Games Full Coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule

Sachin holds off late fightback to seal victory

Sachin began the bout on the front foot, landing a series of combinations against Abu Jajeh. However, the contest soon settled into a tactical affair, with both boxers looking to counter their opponent’s attacks.The Indian’s cleaner punching earned him the opening round on three of the five judges’ scorecards. The second round followed a similar pattern, with the boxers cancelling each other’s attacks and waiting for openings.

Needing to make up ground, Abu Jajeh pressed forward, allowing Sachin to find opportunities for sharp left-right combinations. The Indian again edged the round, winning it 4-1 on the judges’ cards.The Jordanian boxer came out aggressively in the final round, throwing punches in numbers in a bid to turn the bout around. Sachin stood his ground and traded blows, but appeared to tire in the closing stages, allowing his opponent to land a few clean punches.Despite the late pressure, the Indian had done enough to secure the split-decision win and progress to the last eight.

Preeti Pawar to begin campaign later in the day

Later on Friday, India’s previous edition bronze medallist Preeti Pawar will begin her campaign in the women’s 54kg category.

India had a mixed day in boxing on Thursday, with Parveen the only Indian to progress after receiving a walkover into the women’s 65kg quarterfinals. Her compatriots Sakshi Chaudhary and Sumit suffered contrasting exits.Sakshi lost 2-3 to Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkibekova in the women’s 51kg pre-quarterfinals, while Sumit was forced to withdraw midway through his men’s 70kg bout due to a knee injury.India’s overall medal tally stood at 19 on Friday, comprising two gold, eight silver and nine bronze medals.