Asian Games Heartbreak for Nepal’s Flag Bearer Chandra Bahadur Thapa Magar
In Nagoya, under the bright lights of Nishio Gymnasium, one of Nepal’s biggest boxing hopes saw his Asian Games journey end before it had truly begun.
Chandra Bahadur Thapa Magar, the nation’s flag bearer and a world bronze medallist, was beaten in the preliminary round of the men’s up to 55 kg category, losing by a unanimous 5:0 decision to India’s Jadumani Singh Mandengbam.
All five judges sided with the Indian boxer. The scorecards told a clear story: 30:27, 29:28, 29:28, 30:27 and 30:27.
A tough night for a proven contender
The bout stretched the full three rounds, three minutes each, but Magar never quite found the rhythm that had once carried him onto a global podium.
In the third round, frustration deepened. Magar was credited with a knockdown after he fell following a push from Mandengbam, a moment that only widened the gap on the cards and underlined how little was going his way.
For a boxer ranked third in the world by the International Boxing Association in the elite men’s 51–54 kg division after last year’s bronze at the IBA Men’s World Championships, this was a stark reminder of how unforgiving tournament boxing can be. One off night, and the door closes.
He had led his country into the Games as flag bearer. He walked out of the ring with his campaign already over.
Nepal’s rough start in the ring
Magar’s defeat marked Nepal’s third straight exit at the preliminary stage in boxing.
Earlier the same day, Ramisha Shrestha fell to Vietnam’s Thi Tham Nguyen in the women’s up to 51 kg category, also by a unanimous 0:5 decision. The pattern had already been set a day before, when Dan Bahadur Darlami lost to Iraq’s Ali Qasim Hamdan Al-Sarray in the men’s up to 70 kg division, again on a unanimous verdict.
Three boxers in. Three boxers out. No arguments on the scorecards.
Others still standing
Nepal’s boxing squad in Nagoya features seven fighters, and while three have already seen their tournaments end, four more still carry the country’s hopes.
Hagendra Roka Magar was scheduled to face Macau’s Elvin John Reyes Salinas in the men’s up to 60 kg category, a matchup that offers a chance to steady the national team’s campaign.
In the women’s draw, Kusum Tamang was due to step in against China’s Shu Li in the up to 65 kg class, while Rabin Nepal prepared for a demanding contest with Thailand’s Jakkaphong Yomkhot in the men’s up to 90 kg division. Asmita Duwal is also in action in the women’s up to 54 kg category.
For now, the story of Nepal’s boxing team at these Asian Games is one of early exits and harsh lessons. The question is whether those still to fight can flip the narrative before the lights go out in Nagoya.
