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Indian pugilists and Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medallists Arundhati Choudhary and Jaismine Lamboria reflected on their memorable campaign and the overwhelming response following their victories in Glasgow.
India scripted history in Glasgow by producing the greatest boxing performance by any nation in Commonwealth Games history, finishing at the top of the medal standings with seven gold and three silver medals. The tally surpassed the previous record of six boxing gold medals jointly held by England (1934 and 2018) and Canada (1986). Kota-born Arundhati produced a dominant display in the women's 70kg final, defeating England's Chantelle Reid 5-0 by unanimous decision to secure one of India's seven boxing gold medals at the Games. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the IAMGAME Sports Awards at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday, Arundhati Choudhary said winning gold at her maiden Commonwealth Games was a huge achievement and that the recognition and warm welcome she received had motivated her to aim for greater success, with the Olympics being her ultimate goal. Notably, Arundhati was also felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the rest of the medal winners. Her achievements were also recognised by the Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. "This was my first Commonwealth Games, and I won gold. It's a huge achievement for me because we've been practising for months to give our best. Meeting the PM and the Rajasthan CM, and the welcome I received in Rajasthan, has really motivated me to perform even better. This medal is just one step; the ultimate goal is the Olympics. I'm using this as motivation for future competitions," Arundhati Choudhary said. Arundhati's fellow Indian boxer Jaismine Lamboria said she was happy to meet people and receive their blessings, adding that their joy over her success was heartening. "It's been great meeting people and receiving their blessings. It's heartening to see how happy people are because of our success," Jaismine Lamboria said. Lamboria defeated Northern Ireland's defending champion Michaela Walsh 5-0 in the women's 57kg final. After edging a closely fought opening round, the Indian boxer dominated the remainder of the contest to seal a convincing unanimous-decision victory. (ANI)
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