Asian Games 2026 Boxing Draw: Jadumani Faces Thapa, Sachin Gets a Bye; Kapil and Narender Eye Deep Runs

India will enter the boxing competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 with six male boxers across the 55kg, 60kg, 70kg, 80kg, 90kg and +90kg categories. 

The boxing tournament begins on September 21 at the Nishio Gymnasium, with the Indian men's contingent featuring Jadumani Singh, Sachin Siwach, Sumit Kundu, Ankush Panghal, Kapil Pokhariya and Narender Berwal.

The draw has produced a mix of early tests and first-round byes for the Indian contingent. Among the four boxers highlighted in the draw, Jadumani Singh faces a first-round contest, Sachin Siwach starts with a bye, Kapil Pokhariya has an opening bout against an Iranian opponent, while Narender Berwal also receives a bye.

Jadumani, who won silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, will compete in the men's 55kg category and finds himself in a section featuring several experienced international names.

Jadumani Singh will begin his Asian Games campaign against Thapa of Nepal in the men's 55kg category, according to the published draw. The Indian boxer is coming off a significant Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow, where he reached the men's 55kg final and secured a silver medal. That run included victories over Aaron Cullen of Scotland, Pakistan's Sumama Rehman and Zambia's Mwengo Mwale before he eventually finished runner-up.

The Asian Games draw presents a different challenge.

Jadumani's projected path includes some of the biggest names in the weight class, including Zhang Jiamao of China and Carlo Paalam of the Philippines. Paalam is a Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, while Zhang is another experienced Asian contender. Jadumani will therefore need to negotiate his opening contest before thinking about the later rounds.

First match: Jadumani Singh vs Thapa (Nepal).

India's Sachin Siwach will not have to box in the opening round of the men's 60kg competition. The draw gives Sachin a bye, meaning his Asian Games campaign begins from the next stage.

The 60kg division contains one of the most prominent names in the entire boxing field: Uzbekistan's Abdumalik Khalokov, the Olympic champion and one of the leading boxers in the category. Sachin's projected route puts him on course for a potential semifinal meeting with Khalokov. That would be a major test for the Indian boxer, who has enjoyed a strong 2026 season and enters the Asian Games after winning Commonwealth Games gold in the 60kg category. India Today noted that Sachin's Commonwealth success has made him one of the key names in India's men's boxing contingent for Aichi-Nagoya. 

For now, however, there is no opening bout to negotiate.

First match: Bye.

Kapil Pokhariya begins against Iran

In the men's 90kg category, Kapil Pokhariya has been handed a first-round contest against Estarki of Iran, according to the draw. Kapil is making his Asian Games debut and enters a division featuring several highly regarded boxers. His section also contains major names including Uzbekistan's Turabek Khabibullaev and Kazakhstan's Nurbek Oralbay.

Khabibullaev is among the standout names in the category, while Oralbay brings Olympic experience and a strong international résumé. That means the road could become considerably more demanding as the tournament progresses, but Kapil's immediate focus will be on getting through his opening bout.

Kapil is one of two Indian men making their Asian Games debuts in the higher weight categories, with Sumit Kundu also entering his first Games in the 70kg division. (India Today)

First match: Kapil Pokhariya vs Estarki (Iran).

In the men's +90kg division, India will be represented by Narender Berwal, who has received a bye in the opening round. Berwal arrives with considerably more Asian Games experience than several members of the Indian men's squad. He won bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games and followed that with a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. His projected semifinal pathway could bring him up against Kazakhstan's Aibek Oralbay, the reigning world champion in the category, making the later rounds potentially demanding.

But, like Sachin, Berwal's campaign begins without an opening bout.

First match: Bye.

The Indian men's boxing squad has six representatives at Aichi-Nagoya, with each category presenting a different route through the tournament. The full men's contingent is Jadumani Singh at 55kg, Sachin Siwach at 60kg, Sumit Kundu at 70kg, Ankush Panghal at 80kg, Kapil Pokhariya at 90kg and Narender Berwal at +90kg.

The boxing competition runs from September 21 to October 2, with the semifinals scheduled for September 29 and 30 and the gold-medal bouts on October 2.

For India, the opening days will set the tone for a boxing campaign featuring a combination of Commonwealth medallists, Asian Games experience and debutants. The first objective for each boxer is straightforward: navigate the opening stage and keep the medal pathway alive.

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