Nishio, September 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jadumani Singh advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s 55kg boxing event at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Nepal’s Chandra Bahadur Thapa by a unanimous 5-0 decision at Nishio Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Jadumani, who faced the reigning World Championships bronze medallist, started cautiously but grew increasingly dominant as the bout progressed. His precise combinations impressed the judges throughout the three rounds.
The Indian boxer secured the opening two rounds before maintaining control in the third. He landed a left hook that resulted in a standing count for Thapa and went on to take the round as well.
Jadumani’s unanimous victory was reflected in the judges’ scorecards, with three judges awarding him a 30-27 win and the other two scoring the bout 29-28 in his favour.
He will next face Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam in the pre-quarterfinals on Saturday. Paalam won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Earlier, Glasgow Games gold medallist Sakshi Chaudhary also advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after defeating Philippines’ Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aira Villegas by a unanimous 5-0 decision.
Making her Asian Games debut, Sakshi won all three rounds 10-9 and controlled the bout with accurate punching against the experienced Filipino boxer.
Sakshi will face current 51kg world champion Alua Balkibekova in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Indian boxer had earlier secured her place in the 2026 Commonwealth Games team after defeating two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the 54kg semifinals and 48kg world champion Minakshi Hooda in the final of the selection trials.
She subsequently won Commonwealth Games 2026 gold, defeating England’s Ruby White 5-0 in the final, before turning her attention to the Asian Games.
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