17 September,2026 08:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan Shankar
Vijender Singh
[popcorn number="10" desc="No. of medals won by Indian boxers at the Commonwealth Games 2026" class="Default"]
India's 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh believes the boxing contingent for the upcoming Asian Games (September 19 to October 4) is well prepared, and he has high expectations from both, the men and women, despite the strong competition they will face in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India will field an 11-member boxing squad comprising five women - Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Parveen Hooda (65kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) - and six men - Jadumani Singh (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Sumit Kundu (70kg), Ankush (80kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg) and Narender Berwal (+90kg).
Vijender, 40, expects the women to contribute more medals than the men, given their recent form. "I feel if we get three-four medals, it will be a good result. Our girls are good, so I'm expecting two to three medals from the girls, and we should get one or two from the boys. So, in all, we can get five to six medals," the former pugilist said during an interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Tuesday.
When asked by mid-day if he had any specific medal prospects in mind, Vijender, a 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games gold medallist and 2006 Doha Asian Games bronze medallist, replied: "All the boxers are my favourites and I hope all of them return with medals. But in the men, Siwach is a good prospect. Then, Berwal has recently received the Arjuna Award, so he must be very confident. In the girls, Sakshi and Preeti are my favourites, as is Priya Ghanghas."
In a recent interaction with mid-day, Vijender had advised the boxers to skip felicitation events for their recent Commonwealth Games success in Glasgow, where they won 10 medals, and instead focus on training for the Asiad.
Asked whether he felt his words had been taken seriously, Vijender was quick to respond: "Yes, they did take it [advice]. I asked Sakshi how many events she attended and she hasn't gone for any and that her father is going on her behalf. I hope they are focussed on their training and don't lose this focus because the Asian Games are going to be difficult."
The former Haryana boxer also identified mobile phones as one of the biggest distractions for athletes. "Nowadays, there are phones, and that's a huge distraction. It's a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. Everyone wants to be popular and be a star in a day. So, that's that distraction. We should limit that and ensure we do more training," he signed off.
