Asian Games 2026 Boxing: 199 Boxers, 10 Reigning World Champions Set for Aichi-Nagoya

Boxing at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games is set to feature a strong field of 199 boxers representing 33 National Olympic Committees, with 11 gold medals on offer across five women’s and six men’s weight categories.

Competition begins on September 21 and will continue until October 2 at Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. The tournament brings together several of the continent’s leading boxers, including 10 reigning world champions, creating a highly competitive field across the 11 divisions. Boxing has been part of the Asian Games programme since 1954, and the Aichi-Nagoya edition will once again provide a major platform for Asia’s leading boxing nations.

Kazakhstan enters the tournament with six reigning world champions, the largest contingent among the participating nations. The country’s star-studded group includes Alua Balkibekova in the women’s 51kg category, Aida Abikeyeva at 65kg and Natalya Bogdanova at 75kg. On the men’s side, Kazakhstan will be represented by Makhmud Sabyrkhan at 55kg, Torekhan Sabyrkhan at 70kg and Aibek Oralbay in the 90kg+ category.

Bogdanova will compete at 75kg after winning her world title at 70kg, while Kazakhstan's presence across multiple divisions gives the country considerable depth throughout the competition. Four additional reigning world champions come from Uzbekistan and Chinese Taipei. Uzbekistan's Abdumalik Khalokov will compete at 60kg, while Fazliddin Erkinboev moves up from the 75kg division in which he won his world title to compete at 80kg. Turabek Khabibullaev will contest the men's 90kg category.

Chinese Taipei's Huang Hsiao-wen completes the list of reigning world champions and will compete in the women's 54kg division.

Japan's Okazawa among home contenders

The home nation will also have a prominent contender in Sewonrets Okazawa, who will compete in the men's 70kg category. Okazawa brings significant Asian Games and Olympic experience into the competition. He represented Japan at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games and won gold at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.

He subsequently claimed silver at the 2025 World Boxing Championships, making him one of Japan's leading medal hopes on home soil. With the competition taking place in Aichi, Okazawa will also have the opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd as he continues his international career.

India enters the Asian Games following a strong showing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Indian boxers topped the boxing medal table at the Commonwealth Games after winning seven gold medals and three silver medals. The Asian Games will provide another major test for India's boxing contingent, with the country's boxers set to compete across both men's and women's divisions.

India's women's categories at Aichi-Nagoya are 51kg, 54kg, 60kg, 65kg and 75kg, while the men's categories are 55kg, 60kg, 70kg, 80kg, 90kg and 90kg+. The breadth of the competition means India will be involved across a significant portion of the tournament's 11 medal events.

The boxing tournament features athletes from 33 National Olympic Committees, underlining the continental reach of the Asian Games. The participating NOCs are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Macau (China), Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Palestine, DPR Korea, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

The wide geographical representation brings together established boxing powers alongside nations seeking greater representation and success on the Asian stage.

The stakes extend beyond medals. Boxers competing at the Asian Games can earn World Boxing ranking points, which can subsequently contribute to seeding at future competitions. Under World Boxing's ranking system, the gold medallist receives 800 points, silver earns 500 points, bronze earns 300 points, while boxers finishing from fifth to eighth receive 150 points.

That adds another layer of significance to the competition, particularly for boxers looking to strengthen their position in the international rankings.

Competition begins September 21

The opening day of boxing at Aichi-Nagoya will feature two sessions, beginning at 12:00 and 17:00 local time. With 199 boxers, 33 NOCs and 10 reigning world champions in the field, the tournament promises a packed schedule from the opening bell through the medal rounds. The competition will run for nearly two weeks at Nishio Gymnasium before the final champions across the 11 weight categories are crowned on October 2.

For established world champions, Olympic contenders and emerging Asian boxers alike, Aichi-Nagoya represents an important opportunity to add an Asian Games title to their resumes and collect valuable World Boxing ranking points.