Aichi-Nagoya: India’s Parveen Hooda clinched the gold medal in the women’s 65kg boxing category at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin 3-2 by split decision in a closely fought final on Friday.
The victory made Parveen the third Indian woman boxer to win an Asian Games gold medal, after MC Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain. Lovlina had earlier won the women’s 75kg gold at the 2026 Games.
Parveen Hooda Edges Chen in Close Final
Parveen started cautiously in the opening round, using her reach, movement and counter-punches to keep Chen at a distance. Her cleaner punches earned her the round on all five judges’ scorecards.
Chen responded strongly in the second round, increasing her pressure and finding openings with quick combinations. All five judges awarded the second round to Chen, leaving the contest level going into the deciding round.
The final round remained closely contested. Chen continued to press forward, while Parveen relied on movement and counter-punching. After the final bell, the judges awarded the bout to the Indian boxer by a 3-2 split decision, securing the women’s 65kg gold medal.
Parveen Hooda Completes Asian Games Gold-Medal Run
Parveen had reached the final after recording unanimous victories in her earlier bouts. She defeated Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova 5-0 in the quarterfinal before beating China’s Li Shu 5-0 in the semifinal.
The gold also comes after a difficult period in Parveen’s career. She had won a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games but was later stripped of the medal following a suspension over whereabouts failures. She also missed the Paris Olympics as a result of the suspension.
Chen Nien-chin Brings Strong Experience
Chen entered the final with considerable international experience, having won a world championship title and a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
The Chinese Taipei boxer kept the contest close after losing the opening round, but Parveen held her composure in the deciding round to secure the narrow victory.
Parveen’s gold adds another boxing title to India’s medal campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.