India created history in the boxing arena at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Wednesday as five pugilists barged into the semifinals of their respective categories, confirming five additional medals for the country. With these victories, nine Indian boxers have now marched into the last four, officially guaranteeing India's largest-ever medal haul in boxing at the Games.
Eclipsing the Previous Medal Record of Birmingham 2022
Following Wednesday's clean sweep of five bouts, India's confirmed boxing medal count reached nine. This achievement successfully surpassed the country's previous best performance registered at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where Indian boxers secured seven medals in total, comprising three golds, one silver, and three bronzes. Prior to Wednesday's matches, four Indian boxers—Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Jadumani Singh (men's 55kg)—had already sealed their spots in the semifinals. The addition of five more semifinalists on Wednesday has pushed India to an unprecedented historic high in international boxing.
Masterful Shows by Sakshi and Arundhati in Women's Bouts
In the women's 51kg division, 26-year-old Sakshi Choudhary delivered a tactical masterclass against Caitlin Fryers of Northern Ireland, capturing a 5-0 unanimous decision win. Utilizing her superior height and reach, Sakshi thwarted Fryers' relentless aggressive rushes and fast-paced punches with supreme composure and agile footwork. Reflecting on her tactical approach after the bout, Sakshi stated, "Her strategy was to attack from up close while I was punching from long range, which is my strength." Meanwhile, in the women's 70kg weight class, Arundhati Choudhary fought through a grueling encounter against Morgan Henderson of New Zealand, earning a hard-fought 3-1 split decision victory to advance to the semifinals.
Dominant Performances by Sachin Siwach and Ankush Yadav
In the men's 60kg semifinals berth race, former World Youth Champion Sachin Siwach outclassed Botswana's Treasure Moremi with a unanimous 5-0 decision, guaranteeing himself at least a bronze medal. Equally impressive was Ankush Yadav, last year's World Boxing Cup Finals silver medalist, who dominated Seychelles' Jade Micock 5-0 in the men's 80kg category. Ankush established control from the opening round with sound defensive organization and swift counter-punching. Maintaining his dominance into the second round, Ankush impressed all official scoring cards, earning a 30-26 score from one judge and 30-27 scores from the remaining four judges.
Narender Berwal Overcomes Penalty Deductions for a Gritty Win
Closing out the day's action, Asian Games bronze medalist Narender Berwal displayed remarkable resilience in the men's over 90kg super heavyweight quarterfinal against Samoa's Michael Seko. Despite the referee stepping in repeatedly to dock two points from the Indian boxer, Narender stayed aggressive and forced Seko into two standing counts during the bout. The judges ultimately awarded Narender a 3-2 split decision victory, making him the fifth Indian boxer of the day to reach the semifinals and securing India's ninth confirmed boxing medal in Glasgow.
