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Indian boxers Ankush and Narender Berwal advanced to the Commonwealth Games 2026 semifinals on Wednesday. Ankush defeated Seychelles' Jade Micock 5-0 in the men's 80kg quarterfinal, while Narender edged past Samoa's Michael Seko in a close men's 90+kg contest to secure his place in the last four, according to ESPN.
Ankush controlled the bout from the start, taking the initiative with aggressive punches and effective movement. The Indian boxer landed a strong left hook in the opening round and kept Micock under pressure, with all five judges awarding him the round, according to ESPN. The 19-year-old Micock struggled to match Ankush's intensity in the second round as the Indian continued to find success with his left-hand punches and maintained control of the contest. Once again, all five judges ruled in Ankush's favour. With a semifinal place within reach, Ankush adopted a more measured approach in the final round, avoiding unnecessary risks while keeping his opponent at bay. He comfortably sealed the bout with another unanimous 5-0 decision and assured India of one more medal. Narender Berwal, on the other hand, also confirmed a medal as he reached the men's 90+kg semifinals after edging past Michael Seko in a closely fought quarterfinal. Narender prevailed with a 3-2 split decision in a thrilling contest that went down to the wire. Both boxers showed signs of fatigue in the final round, but Narender landed a crucial blow that forced the referee to start a count against Seko. The Samoan boxer recovered and continued, setting up a tense finish. The Indian boxer managed to do enough to impress the judges and sealed the victory, securing another Commonwealth Games medal for India. Narender's win marked the fifth Indian boxer to reach the semifinals on Wednesday, adding to a successful day for the country's boxing contingent in Glasgow. Earlier, Sachin Siwach advanced to the men's 60kg semifinals after defeating Botswana's Treasure Moremi by a unanimous decision, and Arundhati Choudhary and Sakshi Chaudhary also secured respective places in the boxing semifinals. So far, India has won 12 medals -- two gold, seven silver and three bronze. India's medallists are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women's shot put F57), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men's high jump), Gulveer Singh (silver, men's 10,000m), Harjinder Kaur (silver, weightlifting), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting), Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, women's shot put F57) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting). (ANI)
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