Asian Games: Thapa Magar's Disappointment in Opening Bout

In Nagoya, under the bright lights of Nishio Gymnasium, Nepal’s standard-bearer at these Asian Games saw his campaign end before it had truly begun.

Chandra Bahadur Thapa Magar, a World Championships bronze medallist and once ranked third in the world by the International Boxing Association in the elite men’s 51–54 kg division, was beaten by India’s Jadumani Singh Mandengbam in the men’s up to 55 kg preliminary round. The judges did not hesitate. All five went the same way: 5–0 to the Indian.

The scorecards told a clear story. Two judges had it 30–27, two more 29–28, and the fifth again 30–27 in Mandengbam’s favour. Three rounds of three minutes, and little room for doubt.

The bout had its flashpoint in the final round. Thapa Magar was officially credited with a knockdown after going to the canvas, but it came not from a clean punch, rather from a push that sent him off balance. It summed up his night: always battling, always looking for a foothold, never quite able to seize control.

For Nepal, this was not an isolated setback. It was their third straight exit at the preliminary stage.

Earlier on the same day, Ramisha Shrestha had fallen to Vietnamese boxer Thi Tham Nguyen in the women’s up to 51 kg category, also by a unanimous 0–5 decision. A day before that, Dan Bahadur Darlami suffered the same fate against Iraq’s Ali Qasim Hamdan Al-Sarray in the men’s up to 70 kg class, another unanimous verdict that left no room for argument.

Three boxers in, three boxers out. The margins at this level are brutal, and Nepal have felt every one of them.

The contrast with Thapa Magar’s recent past is stark. Last year, he climbed onto the podium at the IBA Men’s World Championships with a bronze medal, a breakthrough that pushed him into the top three of the global rankings in his weight band. That rise earned him the honour of carrying Nepal’s flag at the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya, a symbol of a fighter expected to lead from the front.

Instead, his tournament is over after one punishing night.

The story of Nepal’s boxing team at these Games is not finished yet, though. Seven fighters were entered; three have already seen their journeys cut short, but four more still have their chance.

• Hagendra Roka Magar was scheduled to face Macau’s Elvin John Reyes Salinas in the men’s up to 60 kg category, a test of composure and ring craft.
• In the up to 65 kg class, Kusum Tamang was set to meet China’s Shu Li, a daunting assignment against one of the region’s traditional powerhouses.
• Rabin Nepal, in the up to 90 kg division, drew Thailand’s Jakkaphong Yomkhot, a matchup that promises heavy leather and little room to hide.
• Asmita Duwal also steps in for Nepal in the women’s up to 54 kg bracket, carrying her own share of expectation.

The early results have been harsh, the learning curve unforgiving. The question now is simple: can the remaining four rewrite the tone of Nepal’s boxing campaign before the lights go out in Nagoya?