Thai Boxer Nathnicha Wins Asian Games Gold Aims for Olympics
Thai boxer Nathnicha Jongproongklang secured Thailand's sole gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating former two-time world flyweight champion Pang Chol-mi. She said the victory marked the first time a Thai female boxer had won an Asian Games gold and vowed to fulfill a vow at the Ya Mo shrine with a Korat song. Nathnicha aims to improve her punch technique and pursue Olympic gold at the 2028 Games in the United States.
Nathnicha Jongproongklang said she felt delighted after beating former two-time world flyweight champion Pang Chol-mi, a double Asian Games gold medalist and Olympic bronze medalist from North Korea, enabling her to claim the only Asian Games 2026 gold for Thailand's Boxing Association. She expressed great joy, saying she had given her utmost effort, emphasizing that it was the first time a Thai female boxer had won an Asian Games gold medal, something she had hoped to achieve before the bout and succeeded. She noted that being the sole remaining contender for gold made her feel excited rather than pressured, and that the favorable draw placed strong opponents in the other bracket. She thanked her coaches, the Boxing Association, the Nakhon Ratchasima Sports School, and all contributors. Nathnicha added that she would need to fulfill a vow at the Ya Mo shrine with a Korat song, as her mother had prayed there for success. She further said she needs to improve her punch combinations, which currently rely mostly on a one-two followed by a hook, and her next goal is the 2028 Olympics in the United States, where winning a gold would be wonderful.
