Chandra Bahadur Thapa Magar Faces Unanimous Defeat at Asian Games
Chandra Bahadur Thapa Magar, one of Nepal’s most decorated active boxers, walked into Nishio Gymnasium as a world bronze medallist and Asian Games flag bearer. He walked out on the wrong side of a shutout.
In Nagoya, Japan, Magar was beaten by India’s Jadumani Singh Mandengbam in the preliminary round of the men’s up to 55 kg category, losing by a unanimous 5–0 decision that underlined the Indian boxer’s control across three tense rounds.
All five judges saw it the same way. Their scorecards told the story: 30–27, 29–28, 29–28, 30–27, 30–27 to Mandengbam.
The bout ran the full distance – three rounds of three minutes – but Magar never quite found the rhythm that had carried him onto the world podium last year. Even the one moment that seemed dramatic on paper went against him. In the third round, he was officially credited with a knockdown after falling to the canvas, but the fall came after a push from his opponent rather than a clean scoring shot. It still counted in the frame of the contest, and it summed up a night where nothing broke Nepal’s way.
Nepal’s rough start in the ring
Magar’s exit marked Nepal’s third straight defeat in the boxing tournament, a bruising opening chapter for a team that arrived with quiet optimism.
Earlier on the same day, Ramisha Shrestha had also bowed out in the women’s up to 51 kg division, losing to Vietnam’s Thi Tham Nguyen. That contest, too, ended in a unanimous 0–5 decision against the Nepali corner.
A day before, Dan Bahadur Darlami had fallen to Iraq’s Ali Qasim Hamdan Al-Sarray in the men’s up to 70 kg category. Again, the judges were unanimous. Again, Nepal’s boxer was on the wrong side of the verdict.
Three fights. Three unanimous decisions. No Nepali hand raised.
From world podium to early exit
Magar’s loss carries extra weight because of what he represents for Nepali boxing.
Last year, he claimed a bronze medal at the IBA Men’s World Championships, a breakthrough result that pushed him into the global conversation. The International Boxing Association ranked him third in the world in the elite men’s 51–54 kg weight category, a remarkable rise for a fighter from a country still fighting for recognition in the sport.
That status earned him the honour of leading Nepal out as flag bearer at the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya. He arrived as a symbol of progress. On this night, he was a reminder of how unforgiving elite competition can be.
Others still swinging
Despite the early setbacks, Nepal’s boxing campaign is not over.
Seven boxers were entered; three have already seen their journeys end, but four still have the chance to change the mood around the team.
In the men’s up to 60 kg category, Hagendra Roka Magar was scheduled to face Macau’s Elvin John Reyes Salinas. Kusum Tamang was lined up against China’s Shu Li in the up to 65 kg division, a stern test against one of the region’s traditional powerhouses. In the heavier men’s up to 90 kg class, Rabin Nepal was due to meet Thailand’s Jakkaphong Yomkhot, while Asmita Duwal stepped into the women’s up to 54 kg category.
For now, the record reads three fights, three defeats. The question for Nepal’s remaining boxers is simple: can they turn a difficult start into a statement that this generation is still on the rise, rather than at a crossroads?
