CWG 2026: Arundhati Choudhary enters boxing 70kg semifinal, guarantees India a medal
Glasgow, July 29
Indian boxer Arundhati Choudhary advanced to the women's 70kg semifinals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow after defeating New Zealand's Morgan Henderson in the quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Arundhati produced a composed performance in a closely fought contest, edging the first round 3-2 before taking control in the second round. Despite Henderson's aggressive approach, the Indian boxer stayed patient, relying on her movement and effective punches to take the third round via a 3-1 split decision and secure victory, according to ESPN. The win assured Arundhati of a medal as she will now compete in the semifinals with a chance to progress to the gold medal bout.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sakshi Chaudhary advanced to the women's 51kg semifinals after defeating Northern Ireland's Caitlyn Fryers with a dominant unanimous 5-0 decision in the quarterfinal, also guaranteeing India a medal.
Sakshi, who came into the Games in good form after moving back to the 51kg category and beating top Indian boxers during the trials, controlled the bout with a composed performance. She won all three rounds by identical 5-0 margins, using her movement and accurate punches to keep Fryers under pressure, according to ESPN. She will now face Canada's Amber-Jane Wall in the semifinal on Friday for a place in the gold medal bout.
India has so far 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
Reader Comments
Sakshi moving back to 51kg clearly was the right decision. 5-0 unanimous against Fryers? That's dominance 🙌 And now she faces Canada's Amber-Jane Wall on Friday. Hope she brings the gold home! Weightlifting has been great but boxing is giving us big hopes too.
Great to see Commonwealth nations like India producing such talented athletes. Arundhati's patience and movement were key. Hopefully she can go all the way to gold! 🇮🇳🥇
I must say, the boxing contingent is really stepping up. Two guaranteed medals from boxing alone! But I wish we had more golds. So far 7 silver and only 2 gold... we need to convert those silvers into golds in the remaining events. Still, very proud of Arundhati and Sakshi! Keep punching girls! 🥊
Arundhati Choudhary - what a name to remember! From a close 3-2 first round to controlling the fight and winning 3-1 in the third, that shows true improvement and game awareness. Our Indian boxers are learning well. Semifinals mein aur dhamaka dikhao! 💪
Excellent news for India! But honestly, 12 medals with only 2 gold is a bit disappointing. Weightlifting has given us most medals but still only 1 gold there. Boxing and athletics need to step up. Arundhati and Sakshi are doing well but we need more gold medals to improve our standing. Let's hope for more in the coming days! 🤞