Indian Boxers Sachin Siwach, Ankush, Narender Berwal Target Gold After Semifinal Berths

CWG 2026: Sachin Siwach, Ankush, Narender Berwal eye gold after securing boxing semifinals berths

Glasgow, July 29

Speaking to ANI after his quarterfinal win, Sachin said he felt slight nervousness before the bout but found the contest easy. He added that he would follow his coaches' strategy for the next fight and was determined to secure the gold medal.

"In the beginning, before the bout, there was a bit of nervousness, but it was a very easy bout. And for the next one too, I will work on the strategy told by my coaches, and it will be good. Gold was expected, and only gold will come, he said.

"I'd like to dedicate the medal to my family and my coaches," he added.

Sachin delivered a commanding performance from the opening bell, landing a powerful left hook early in the first round and controlling the pace of the contest. Despite a brief stoppage due to Moremi's dressing coming off near his right eye, the Indian boxer maintained his composure and secured the opening round with all five judges scoring in his favour, accoridng to ESPN.

The Indian continued his dominance in the second round, with his quick combinations and sharp left hooks proving too difficult for Moremi to handle. The judges once again awarded the round unanimously to Sachin. With the victory within reach, Sachin stayed in control during the final round as Moremi struggled to find momentum. The Indian boxer comfortably completed the bout and sealed a unanimous decision win.

Sachin, who had earlier defeated Canada's Keoma Al-Ahmadieh and England's William Hewitt in the tournament, will now face Wales' Owain Harris-Allan in the semifinals on Friday for a place in the gold medal bout.

Indian boxers Ankush and Narender Berwal also advanced to the 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.

Speaking to ANI, Ankush also expressed confidence in converting his confirmed medal into gold. He said he would prepare for the semifinal with his coach and dedicate the achievement to his family and coach, especially as a Guru Purnima gift.

"Right now, I have to take gold...it's confirmed that one more medal is added. Now I have to change it into gold," he said.

"Now, after discussing with the coach, [we] will prepare for the next semi-final and will take the gold. The medal is for my family and my coach. Today is Guru Purnima, so it's a gift for him," he added.

Narender, on the other hand, described his quarterfinal as a tough contest against a heavier, experienced professional boxer. He dedicated his assured medal to his late coach, Devraj, on the occasion of Guru Purnima and said the target is the gold medal.

"Today's match was quite tough. He was a pro boxer, and he weighed more than me, 135 kg. The coaches' plan was to keep moving and not stand still because his body weight was high. Then I got two warnings. After that, my mind was very disturbed. But the coaches said, "You've won two rounds; it's all about the last round now. If you win this, you win the bout." So I won all three rounds and won the fight. I went in with the thought that today is Guru Purnima. And my Devraj coach, who is no longer in this world, I dedicate this medal to him. The target is gold," he said.

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. Along with Siwach's win, 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