Indian boxers secure nine medals at Commonwealth Games 2026

By Sanjay Menon — 29 July 2026 — 4 min read

India’s boxing contingent achieved a perfect performance at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, with all five boxers competing on Wednesday advancing to the semifinals. This flawless day ensured India will secure at least nine medals in the boxing competition.

The five boxers who secured their semifinal berths on Wednesday were Narender Berwal, Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Choudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sachin Siwach. Their victories increased the total number of Indian semifinalists in boxing to nine, surpassing the country’s medal tally from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where India secured seven boxing medals.

Dominant performances in the ring

The winning streak for India began with Sakshi Choudhary in the women’s 51kg quarterfinal. She delivered a dominant performance against Northern Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers, controlling the bout from the outset. Sakshi utilized her reach advantage and sharp combinations to maintain distance from Fryers, ultimately securing a unanimous 5-0 victory. Following her win, Sakshi noted that her strategy was to box from long range, which she described as her forte, contrasting with Fryers’ close-range fighting approach.

Next, Arundhati Choudhary faced a more challenging contest in the women’s 70kg quarterfinal against New Zealand’s Morgan Henderson. Despite a closely fought match, Arundhati maintained her composure to secure a 3-1 victory, earning her spot in the semifinals.

Sachin Siwach, a former world youth champion, continued India’s strong showing. Competing in the men’s 60kg quarterfinal, Siwach overpowered Botswana’s Treasure Moremi with a composed display. The world No. 5 Indian boxer secured a unanimous 5-0 decision, 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 delivered a commanding performance against Seychelles’ Jade Micock, winning 5-0. Ankush’s speed, movement, and superior combinations proved effective throughout the contest, allowing him to maintain control and book his semifinal spot.

The final Indian boxer to complete the perfect five-in-five sweep was Narender Berwal in the men’s 90+kg quarterfinal. He battled Samoa’s Michael Seko 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.

Nine medals assured for India

With these five victories, the total number of Indian boxers advancing to the semifinals reached nine. These boxers include Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Jadumani Singh (55kg), who had previously secured their spots. This achievement guarantees India at least nine bronze medals in the Glasgow boxing competition, already surpassing the country’s medal count from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which included three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals.

Beyond boxing, India also saw success in athletics. Shot putters Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill qualified for the final round. Toor, the national record holder, 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, Gill’s best effort was 19.95m, achieved in his opening attempt, with his second throw measuring 19.75m. Gill finished fifth overall among the 15 competitors across both groups. The final for shot put is scheduled for Thursday.

Additionally, national record holder Animesh Kujur qualified for the 200m semifinals in track events. The 23-year-old Kujur won Heat 4 in round one races with a season-best time of 20.46 seconds, placing seventh overall. The 16 fastest runners from across 10 heats will advance to the semifinals, also set for Thursday.

However, there were no medal hopes from the lifting arena as Sanjana bowed out of the women’s 77 kg category with a Do Not Finish (DNF). 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.

The boxing semifinals will determine the final medal colours for the Indian contingent.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com