Nishio: Indian boxer Priya Ghanghas had to settle for a bronze medal in the women’s 60kg category at the Asian Games 2026 after suffering a 1-4 defeat to China’s Yang Chengyu in the semifinal on Wednesday.
Priya, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, produced an attacking performance at the Nishio Gymnasium but could not do enough across the three rounds to convince the judges, as Yang progressed to the final on a split decision.
The Indian entered the bout with considerable momentum, having secured her place in the semifinals with a dominant 5-0 unanimous victory over Tajikistan’s Mijgona Samadova in the quarterfinals. In the pre-quarters she stunned two-time World medallist Oh Yeonji of South Korea
Against Yang, however, Priya found herself up against a boxer who remained composed under pressure and effectively neutralised several of her attacking bursts.
Yang started the contest aggressively, forcing Priya to rely on counters. The Indian soon found her rhythm and began landing combinations, particularly in the latter half of the opening round. Despite Priya appearing to have the better exchanges at stages, the judges awarded round 3-2 to Yang.
Priya came out strongly again in the second round, looking to close the gap with increased aggression. Yang, the 2025 World Championships bronze medallist, stayed compact and made it difficult for the Indian to land cleanly, while also finishing the round with a series of effective punches.
The Chinese boxer took the second round 4-1 on the judges’ scorecards, leaving Priya with a considerable deficit heading into the final three minutes.
Needing a strong finish, Priya pressed forward in the third round and attempted to increase the tempo. Yang, however, repeatedly closed the distance and absorbed or blocked several of the Indian’s attacks. Priya continued to search for openings, but Yang’s defence remained disciplined.
The Chinese boxer eventually secured another 4-1 verdict in the final round to complete a 4-1 split-decision victory and book her place in the gold-medal bout.
Priya’s campaign, therefore, ends with a bronze, adding another medal to her growing international record. The Bhiwani-born boxer had earlier won gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also stood atop the podium at the 2026 Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Ulaanbaatar.
Yang will now meet Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting in the final. Lin is the reigning Olympic champion from Paris, setting up a high-profile contest for the women’s 60kg gold medal.
(IANS)
