Boxers pack a golden punch to boost India’s medals tally

With 10 of the 14 Indian boxers making it to the final, the boxing ring turned out to be a symbol of pride and cheer.

New Delhi : “Go for the gold! This is the round,” a charged-up India coach, Santiago Nieva, screamed into the ears of Priya Ghanghas, who was locked in a fierce contest against Canada’s Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh. Before Priya took to the ring, Preeti Saipawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) had all secured the gold medal in high-voltage finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday.

Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) edged past Northern Ireland’s Michaela Walsh 5-0 to win the second gold medal for India.

With 10 of the 14 Indian boxers making it to the final,

The gold spree started with Preeti Saipawar in the morning session.

It is the best result for Indian boxers at CWG, winning seven gold from the 10 finals. In the 2022 edition Indian boxers returned with three gold, one silver and three bronze.

After Preeti, it was the turn of world championships bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) to take to the ring. She edged past Northern Ireland’s Michaela Walsh 5-0 to win the second gold medal for India. The close first round saw Jaismine winning 3-2, scoring on the counter. She impressed all five judges in the second round as her crosses and jabs landed effectively. Walsh fought back well in the third round, but the Indian had done enough to clinch the gold medal. This was Jaismine’s second medal at the CWG.

In the evening session, Sakshi got the better of England’s Ruby White in the 51kg final. Sakshi, the two-time world youth champion, came into the spotlight with a stellar win against two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the selection trials. With the Asian Games around the corner, she had a lot to prove. Sakshi did not disappoint, beating Ruby White 5-0.

Sakshi got the better of England’s Ruby White in the 51kg final.

Next came Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) to face England’s Chantelle Reid, a 2025 World Championships bronze medallist. Reid was more attacking in the first round, but Arundhati stepped up brilliantly in the next two rounds, throwing good combination punches from close range. Arundhati, known for her flamboyant style, let her hooks and uppercuts do the talking. It was a truly memorable win for Arundhati, who is coming off a wrist injury that required surgery last year. She beat defending champion Rosie Eccles in the semis for two back-to-back big wins.

Lovlina loses

Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, however, lost her 75kg final to Emma-Sue Greentree of Australia, a two-time World Championships medallist. Lovlina lost the first round but bounced back by taking the second. Greentree took complete control in the third round to win the gold medal with a 4-1 verdict.

Sachin Siwach beat Tryagain Morning Ndevelo of Namibia in a dramatic finish. The tall Ndevelo won the close first round 3-2, but Sachin fought back in the second. Sachin had a point deducted after a warning, putting him at a disadvantage. In the closing stages of the third round, Sachin struck a powerful punch that sent Ndevelo to the canvas, drawing a count from the referee. That proved to be crucial in the end.

Ankush added another gold in the 80kg , edging Dimeji Shittu of England 4-1.

Jadumani Singh settled for silver after losing to Australia’s Jye Dixon in 55kg. Though Dixon won 5-0, the contest was much closer than what the score suggests. Narender Berwal lost to England’s Damar Thomas 5-0 in the 90+kg.