Lovlina Borgohain secures Commonwealth Games medal...

By Priya Nair — 23 July 2026 — 4 min read

Lovlina Borgohain has become India’s first confirmed medallist at the Commonwealth Games (CWG), securing at least a bronze medal after receiving a direct entry into the women’s 75kg semifinals. This advancement means she is guaranteed a podium finish without needing to compete in a preliminary bout.

The women’s 75kg division has a limited field of only five entries, leading to a streamlined competition structure. Borgohain, along with TKBP Taafaki of Tuvalu and Emma-Sue Greentree of Australia, received first-round byes, allowing them to proceed directly to the semifinals.

In boxing, both losing semifinalists are awarded bronze medals, which ensures Borgohain’s medal. She is scheduled to face Taafaki in the semifinal on July 31. The winner of this bout will advance to the gold medal match.

India’s Medal Prospects in Boxing

The guaranteed bronze medal for Lovlina Borgohain adds a significant achievement to her collection of major multisport medals. The 28-year-old boxer from Assam has previously earned medals at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, and Asian Championships, with a CWG medal being the sole honour missing from her career.

Boxing is anticipated to be a major contributor to India’s overall medal tally at the Commonwealth Games, which has been reduced to 10 disciplines in the able-bodied programme. The sport has historically provided India with 44 CWG medals.

A strong performance from the boxing contingent is considered crucial for India’s medal count. Several Indian boxers have received first-round byes in their respective categories.

Among the women, Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), and Preeti Pawar (54kg) are each just one victory away from securing medals. The seven-member women’s team is seen as capable of matching or potentially surpassing its previous haul of two golds and a bronze from Birmingham.

Jaismine, the reigning 57kg world champion, is a key medal prospect, despite having recently recovered from an illness that caused her to miss a training camp in the Czech Republic. The boxer from Haryana, who previously won bronze in Birmingham, will be aiming for a higher-coloured medal.

Men’s Squad and Competition Overview

The men’s boxing squad for India is undergoing a transition, featuring many new faces. Six of the seven male boxers will be making their CWG debut. The more experienced members include Asian Games bronze-medallist Narender Berwal (+90kg) and Sumit Kundu (70kg).

Among the newcomers, Jadumani Singh (55kg) is expected to draw considerable attention. The boxer from Manipur has transitioned from the 50kg category to the Olympic 55kg category, a move that has reportedly allowed him to focus more on performance by reducing the need for significant weight cutting.

Other highly-rated prospects in the men’s team include Aditya Pratap Singh (65kg) and Kapil Pokhariya (90kg). Sachin Siwach (60kg), a multiple World Cup-medallist, is considered the strongest medal hope among the men. Despite its relative inexperience, the young squad is believed to possess enough talent to deliver unexpected results.

The sparse field in the women’s 75kg category contrasts with the men’s events, which generally have stronger participation. The men’s 55kg division, Jadumani Singh’s category, has the largest number of participants with 24 boxers. Most men’s weight classes have healthy entries, with the exception of the 90kg and 90+kg categories, which have fewer than 10 competitors.

For women, the 54kg division, featuring Preeti Pawar, has the largest draw with 17 entrants, followed by the 51kg category, with Sakshi Chaudhary, which has 13 participants. The boxing competition is scheduled to commence on Friday, with Jadumani in action on the opening day.

The Indian boxing team’s most successful Commonwealth Games campaign occurred in Gold Coast in 2018, where they secured seven medals, including three gold. During that event, MC Mary Kom became the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth boxing title, and every Indian male boxer returned home with a medal.

The full women’s squad includes Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Parveen Hooda (65kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), and Lovlina Borghain (75kg). The men’s squad consists of Jadumani Singh (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Aditya Pratap Singh (65kg), Sumit Kundu (70kg), Ankush (80kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg), and Narender Berwal (+90kg).