From left, Indian women boxers silver medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and gold medallists Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) after the boxing events at the 23rd Commonwealth Games (CWG), in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 1, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
For decades, the dusty town of Bhiwani, about 100 km away from Delhi, has punched far above its weight in boxing rings around the world. On Sunday (August 2, 2026), Bhiwani’s boxers scripted history for India at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, powering the country to a haul of ten medals, its best-ever performance in the sport at the Games. Of the seven gold medallists, five come from Bhiwani.Bhiwani district is often hailed as the ‘Mini Cuba’ of India, a tribute to the Caribbean island nation that has produced a slew of famed boxers. India’s first boxer to win an Olympic medal, Vijender Singh, shot the town into the global spotlight in 2008, winning a bronze at Beijing and sparking a winning streak for dozens of other boxers from Bhiwani.Bhiwani’s new championsThis time round, four Bhiwani women climbed the podium in Glasgow — Sakshi Chaudhary (51 kg), Preeti Pawar (54 kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), and Priya Ghanghas (60 kg) — along with one man, Sachin Siwach (60 kg).A fellow Haryanvi, Ankush Panghal, won gold in the 80 kg category, while the seventh gold went to Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) of Rajasthan. In the silver category, Narender Berwal (90+ kg) from Sorkhi village in Hansi also brought home a medal for Haryana. The other two silvers were won by Jadumani Singh (55 kg) of Manipur and Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg) of Assam.Hometown celebrationBack home in Bhiwani’s Dhanana village, it was a moment of pride for Ms. Ghanghas’s family. Her father Mahendra told reporters that the entire village would welcome her home.Speaking about her discipline, he said her diet of “churma, kheer, curd and milk” had played a big role. “Every parent should take a lesson from Priya: encourage your children to take up sports and work hard,” he said.Return to selection trialsJagdish Singh, who coaches gold medallist Ms. Chaudhary, also heads the Bhiwani Boxing Club that has played a major role in scripting Bhiwani’s dominance in the sport. Speaking to The Hindu over the phone, he credited the record medal haul to a major change in the selection process for the 2026 Games. Following backlash from players and intervention by the Sports Authority of India, the Boxing Federation of India scrapped its controversial points-based “assessment” system and reverted to open, trial-based selections, he said.“For the last two years, selections were done without trials, based on five to seven parameters decided by coaches. It was like a teacher giving marks in class. Coaches got influenced by whether someone greeted them or had a good rapport. But in the ring, only punches matter,” said Mr. Singh.This time, he said, BFI officials conducted neutral trials in public view with neutral judges. “Earlier, results were withheld, or there were just informal bouts with no declared outcome. Now the best is going through. Sakshi wouldn’t have made it under the old system,” he added. He said the transparent process would also help India in the upcoming Asian Games and 2028 Olympics.‘Addiction to medals’The boxers’ performance drew praise from across the political spectrum in Haryana. Chief Minister Nayab Saini said, “Of 13 gold medallists overall, seven are from Haryana and two each from the State have won silver and bronze. This strength comes when youth stay away from drugs and their only addiction is to win medals.” The Congress MP from Rohtak, Deepender Hooda, posted on X: “Jai Bhiwani, Jai Maata Bhaarat.”The Boxing Federation of India also celebrated the feat, calling it an “unprecedented single-edition haul in world sport.” In its post, it said: “Out of 14 boxers, 10 bring home medals, featuring an unprecedented seven Gold medal haul at the Commonwealth Games! Huge congratulations to India’s Magnificent Seven for making the nation proud!” Published - August 02, 2026 09:54 pm IST
