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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday congratulated Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medallist Arundhati Choudhary after her historic triumph in Glasgow, saying the boxer has brought immense pride to Kota and expressing hope that she will now go on to win an Olympic medal for India.
Arundhati, who hails from Kota, scripted history by clinching the women's 70kg boxing gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, defeating England's world bronze medallist Chantelle Reid by a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision. Congratulating the boxer and her family, Birla praised her years of dedication and hard work. "She has brought pride and honour to Kota by winning a medal. I congratulate her and her family. I have known her for many years. She has been working incredibly hard since she was very young, and today her dream has come true. Now, the hope is for her to win at the Olympics," Birla said. The Lok Sabha Speaker also outlined his vision of strengthening the sporting ecosystem in Kota, saying world-class infrastructure would help produce more champions from the region. "Kota will be equipped with international-standard facilities for all types of sports. This is to ensure that students from the local villages, towns, and hamlets can win medals in sports competitions at both the national and international levels," he added. Arundhati delivered a composed and tactically disciplined performance in the gold-medal bout, controlling the tempo throughout before sealing a unanimous victory over Reid. The Indian boxer remained calm under pressure, forcing the English challenger to chase the contest while landing the cleaner punches. Even after the referee urged both boxers to increase the pace midway through the final round, Arundhati stayed in complete control and celebrated moments before the judges confirmed the unanimous verdict in her favour. Her sister later revealed that Arundhati had competed in the final despite battling a 102-degree fever, making the achievement even more remarkable. Arundhati's triumph capped a record-breaking campaign for Indian boxing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. India finished the boxing competition with an unprecedented haul of 10 medals, including seven gold and three silver, registering its most successful-ever performance at the Commonwealth Games. The seven gold medals came through Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg) and Ankush Panghal (80kg). The three silver medals were won by Jadumani Singh (55kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and Narender Berwal (+90kg). The haul eclipsed India's previous best boxing performance at the Commonwealth Games, where the country had won three gold medals each at Delhi 2010, Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022, underlining the growing depth and dominance of Indian boxing on the Commonwealth stage. (ANI)
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