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Indian boxer Preeti Pawar secured the women''s 54kg gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after defeating Canada''s Scarlett Delgado by unanimous decision in the final on Saturday. It is also India''s first Gold Medal in Boxing in the ongoing Commonwealth Games.
Pawar made a composed start to the bout as Delgado landed a few early punches. The Indian boxer remained patient and gradually found her rhythm, responding with accurate punches and using her left hook effectively. The judges awarded the opening round to Pawar by a unanimous 5-0 scoreline. Pawar continued to grow in confidence in the second round, landing cleaner and more precise punches. She took control of the contest midway through the round with a flurry of sharp combinations that forced a standing count for Delgado. The judges again gave the round to Pawar 5-0, leaving the Indian boxer just one round away from securing the gold medal. Pawar maintained her dominance in the final round, dictating the pace and keeping Delgado on the back foot. She continued to land cleaner punches, including a crisp left hook and a solid right hand, as the Canadian struggled to find a response. After the final bell, Pawar was declared the winner by unanimous decision, securing India''s first boxing gold medal of the day at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Meanwhile, in athletics, Gulveer Singh will compete in the men''s 5000m final, aiming to add another medal to the silver he secured in the 10,000m event at Glasgow 2026. Triple jumpers Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran will also be in action, hoping to recreate India''s memorable 1-2 finish in the event achieved by Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker at the 2022 Birmingham Games. National record holder Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar will contest the men''s pole vault final, while India''s mixed 4x400m relay team will also compete for a podium finish. Olympian Priyanka Goswami will aim to go one step better than her silver medal at Birmingham 2022 when she takes part in the race walk event. In judo, India will look to continue its strong start after an historic opening day. Unnati Sharma (women''s 63kg), Karanjit Singh Maan (men''s 90kg), Harsh Tokas (men''s 81kg) and Inunganbi Takhellambam (women''s 70kg) will compete on Saturday. This comes after Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh won India''s first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medals on Friday. In bowls, Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar will face England in a crucial men''s pairs match, with the winner securing a place in the semi-finals. India will also have medal chances in para athletics and track cycling during the day''s events. (ANI)
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