Who Is Parveen Hooda? All About India's Asian Games 2026 Boxing Gold Medallist

Parveen Hooda has added another golden chapter to her boxing journey. The Haryana boxer defeated Chinese Taipei's Chen Nien-chin 3-2 in a closely fought women's 65kg final at the Asian Games 2026, securing India's second boxing gold medal at the Games.

The victory is particularly significant as the 65kg category is being introduced at the Asian Games this year. The triumph also underlines Parveen's remarkable return to the top after a difficult period away from competitive boxing.

Who Is Parveen Hooda?

Born on April 15, 2000, in Rurki village in Rohtak, Haryana, Parveen Hooda grew up in one of India's traditional boxing strongholds. According to the Boxing Federation of India, her family had limited resources, with a buffalo and a small piece of land helping sustain the household.

Her entry into boxing came after a boxing and handball academy was established in her village in 2011. Inspired by Indian boxing icons such as MC Mary Kom and Vijender Singh, Parveen took up the sport and quickly began making her mark.

She first attracted major attention in 2019 when she defeated experienced boxer Sarita Devi in the domestic trials. She went on to win gold at the 2019 South Asian Games before becoming a national champion in the 63kg category in 2021.

Parveen Hooda's Rise In International Boxing

Parveen's breakthrough on the international stage came in 2022. She won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Istanbul before producing another standout performance at the Asian Boxing Championships in Amman, where she defeated Japan's Kito Mai 5-0 in the 63kg final to claim gold.

Those performances established her as one of India's leading boxers and put her firmly in contention for major international honours.

However, her career suffered a major setback after the Hangzhou Asian Games. Parveen was handed a 22-month suspension by the International Testing Agency for whereabouts failures. Her 2022 Asian Games bronze was subsequently stripped, while the suspension also ruled her out of the Paris Olympics qualification cycle.

The Comeback And Asian Games 2026 Gold

Returning from the suspension meant rebuilding her career from scratch. Parveen switched to the 65kg category and gradually regained her place among India's leading boxers.

She announced her return to the biggest stage by winning gold at the 2025 World Boxing Cup Finals. Although she missed out on a medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after a quarter-final defeat, she bounced back strongly at the Asian Games.

Parveen defeated China's Li Shu in the 65kg semifinal to book her place in the final against Chen Nien-chin.

She then held her nerve in the final, edging Chen 3-2 on a split decision to win Asian Games gold.

Parveen Hooda's Major Achievements

• Asian Games 2026: Gold, Women's 65kg

• World Boxing Cup Finals 2025: Gold

• Asian Boxing Championships 2022: Gold

• World Boxing Championships 2022: Bronze

• South Asian Games 2019: Gold

• Senior Nationals 2021: Gold