Thai Boxer Nattanicha Reaches Asian Games Final
Thai-New Zealand boxer Nattanicha Jongprongklang mounted a dramatic third-round comeback to defeat Japan's Tsukimi Namiki 3-2 and advance to the women's 54kg final at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi, Japan.
AICHI, Japan — Thai-New Zealand boxer Nattanicha Jongprongklang staged a dramatic comeback to beat Japan's Tsukimi Namiki and reach the women's 54kg final at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Nattanicha, known as Focus, is the only Thai amateur boxer remaining in the competition. She faced host nation boxer Namiki in the semifinal at Nishio Gymnasium on 29 September.
Nattanicha used her height and reach advantage to pressure Namiki from the opening bell. Despite appearing to land the clearer punches, she trailed 2–3 on the judges' scorecards after the first round.
She continued to press forward in the second round and landed several clean shots, but still found herself behind 1–4 on the cards.
With her place in the final on the line, Nattanicha had no choice but to push the pace in the third round and score as many points as possible.
Namiki focused on maintaining distance and countering, but Nattanicha produced the comeback she needed.
After three rounds, Nattanicha was awarded a 3–2 split decision, securing her place in the Asian Games final and a chance to fight for the gold medal.
