Indian boxers secure nine medals at Commonwealth Games 2026
India’s boxing contingent achieved a perfect record on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, with five boxers securing victories and advancing to the semifinals. This performance guarantees at least nine bronze medals for India in the boxing competition, surpassing the country’s medal tally from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The five boxers who won their quarterfinal bouts on Wednesday were Narender Berwal, Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Choudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sachin Siwach. Their success means every Indian boxer who competed on the day progressed to the last four, adding to the four who had already qualified.
Boxing Quarterfinal Victories
The winning streak commenced with Sakshi Choudhary in the women’s 51kg quarterfinal. She delivered a dominant performance against Caitlin Fryers of Northern Ireland, securing a unanimous 5-0 victory. Sakshi stated that her strategy involved boxing from long range, which she considered her strength, countering Fryers’ approach of fighting from close range and clinching.
Following Sakshi’s win, Arundhati Choudhary faced Morgan Henderson from New Zealand in the women’s 70kg quarterfinal. Arundhati emerged victorious with a 3-1 decision after a closely contested bout, earning her place in the semifinals.
Sachin Siwach, a former world youth champion, continued India’s strong showing in the men’s 60kg quarterfinal. He overpowered Treasure Moremi of Botswana, winning the bout 5-0 by unanimous decision. Siwach, ranked world No. 5, displayed a composed performance, dominating all five judges’ scorecards.
In the men’s 80kg quarterfinal, Ankush Yadav extended India’s winning streak. The silver medallist from last year’s World Boxing Cup Finals defeated Jade Micock of Seychelles with a 5-0 decision. Ankush’s speed, movement, and superior combinations proved effective throughout the contest.
The final Indian boxer to complete the sweep was Narender Berwal in the men’s 90+kg quarterfinal. He battled Michael Seko of Samoa in a dramatic contest that included referee interventions and two point deductions against Berwal. Despite these challenges, Berwal showed resilience, forcing standing counts twice, including in the decisive final round, to secure a 3-2 split decision victory.
These five victories brought the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals to nine. The other four semifinalists are Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Jadumani Singh (55kg).
Other Indian Performances
Beyond boxing, India also saw success in athletics. Shot putters Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill qualified for the final round. National record holder Toor breached the automatic qualification mark of 20m in Group A with a throw of 20.14m on his second attempt, after an initial effort of 19.93m.
In Group B of the qualification round, Gill’s best effort was 19.95m on his opening attempt, followed by 19.75m on his second throw. He finished fifth overall among 15 competitors across both groups. Those who surpassed the 20m mark or the 12 best performers advanced to the finals, scheduled for Thursday.
On the track, national record holder Animesh Kujur qualified for the 200m semifinals. Kujur, who is 23 years old, clocked 20.46 seconds to win Heat 4 in the first round of races, finishing seventh overall. The 16 fastest runners from across 10 heats will compete in the semifinals, also on Thursday.
However, India did not find success in other events. In weightlifting, Sanjana exited the women’s 77 kg category with a Do Not Finish (DNF) result. Similarly, swimmers Sajan Prakash and Aneesh S Gowda did not qualify for the men’s 200m freestyle final. Prakash finished fifth in his heat and 20th overall with a time of 1.51.99 seconds, while Aneesh finished 18th overall with a timing of 1:51.64 seconds. In para swimming, Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Chaitanya Vishwas Kulkarni qualified for the Men’s 50m Freestyle S7 event.
The boxing team’s performance ensures that India has already surpassed its total boxing medal count from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where the country secured seven medals, comprising three gold, one silver, and three bronze.
The nine semifinal berths guarantee India at least nine bronze medals in the Glasgow boxing competition.
The Commonwealth Games 2026 continues with further competitions, including the shot put and 200m semifinals on Thursday.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
