India’s boxing contingent produced a commanding display at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Wednesday, with Sakshi Choudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Yadav and Narender Berwal all advancing to the semifinals in their respective categories, guaranteeing the country five more medals.
Under Commonwealth Games boxing rules, all semifinalists are assured of at least a bronze medal, ensuring a rich medal haul for India even before the medal bouts begin.
Sakshi Choudhary became the first Indian boxer of the day to seal a semifinal berth after defeating Northern Ireland’s Caitlyn Fryers by a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision in the women’s 51kg quarterfinal.
The Indian pugilist controlled the contest from start to finish with sharp movement, accurate combinations and excellent ring awareness, winning all three rounds convincingly. She will now face Canada’s Amber-Jane Wall in the semifinals on Friday for a place in the gold-medal bout.
Arundhati Choudhary followed with a composed victory over New Zealand’s Morgan Henderson in the women’s 70kg quarterfinal. In a closely fought contest, Arundhati relied on disciplined defence and timely counterattacks to secure a split-decision win and book her place in the last four, guaranteeing herself a medal while keeping her gold medal hopes alive.
In the men’s 60kg category, Sachin Siwach produced another clinical performance to defeat Botswana’s Treasure Moremi by a unanimous decision. Sachin dominated the bout with aggressive combinations, effective footwork and superior ringcraft, controlling all three rounds to comfortably progress to the semifinals.
Having earlier defeated Canada’s Keoma Al-Ahmadieh and England’s William Hewitt, Sachin continued his impressive run in Glasgow and will now face Wales’ Owain Harris-Allan in the semifinal.
Ankush Yadav outclassed Seychelles’ Jade Micock in the men’s 80kg quarterfinal with a commanding 5-0 unanimous verdict.
Ankush dictated the pace from the opening bell, landing powerful left hooks and maintaining relentless pressure throughout the contest. After taking the first two rounds comfortably, he adopted a measured approach in the final round to seal a comprehensive victory and secure his place in the semifinals.
Heavyweight boxer Narender Berwal completed India’s memorable day by edging past Samoa’s Michael Seko in a thrilling men’s +90kg quarterfinal.
In the closest contest involving an Indian boxer, Narender prevailed by a 3-2 split decision after a hard-fought three-round battle. The Indian heavyweight landed crucial scoring punches in the decisive moments, including a powerful blow that forced the referee to administer a standing count against Seko in the final round. Despite a spirited comeback from the Samoan, Narender held his nerve to convince the majority of judges and advance to the semifinals.
The five semifinal berths underline India’s growing strength in boxing at the Glasgow Games and significantly boost the country’s medal prospects.
India had already enjoyed a successful start to the Commonwealth Games, winning medals in weightlifting, para athletics, athletics and para powerlifting. With five boxers now assured of podium finishes, the country’s overall medal tally is set to receive another major boost in the coming days as the semifinal bouts get underway.
(With agency inputs)
