India is relying heavily on its boxing, weightlifting, and athletics contingents to maintain its two-decade streak of top-five finishes at the Commonwealth Games, which opens in Glasgow.
Lalrambuat of Mizoram was the other boxer to win by unanimous decision in the bantamweight category, beating Santosh Kumar of Odisha.
India's U-17 girls boxing team had a successful day at the Asian Championships, with eight boxers advancing to the finals. Rakhi, Khushi Chand, Navya, Diya, Himanshi, Jyoti, Vanshika, and Gurseerat Kaur secured their spots in the finals, while Mamta Murlidhar, Manjunath Lamani, Ishika, and Harnoor Kaur settled for bronze medals after losing their semi-final bouts.
Former Youth World Championships gold medallist Poonam Poonia produced a fearless display to hand defending 54kg champion Sakshi Chaudhary a shock defeat, causing the first major upset of the National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida on Thursday.
A 56-member Indian boxing contingent is set to compete at the Asian Boxing U15 & U17 Championships 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, starting Friday.
India experienced a day of mixed results at the Asian Games, securing a gold medal in shooting through Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet, and a silver in men's 10,000m with Gulveer Singh. However, a major setback occurred with the unexpected early exit of top badminton men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The nation also added several bronze medals in pole vault, shot put, table tennis, and assured more in squash, pushing its total medal count to 23.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir indicated that top batters might be rested from white-ball cricket to prepare for Tests during the upcoming New Zealand tour. He emphasised the importance of Test cricket, the challenge of multi-format players, and discussed preparations for the 2027 World Cup, highlighting the crucial roles of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, and praising Shubman Gill's captaincy.
Archery emerged as one of India's biggest success stories at the 2026 Asian Games, bringing in as many as five gold medals led by 17-year-old sensation Kumkum Mohod leading the way.
Indian national and youth World Champion Sarjubala Devi (48kg) and Saweety (81kg) faltered at the final hurdle to settle for silver medals, rounding off a decent campaign for the country in the 8th Women's World Boxing Championship, in Jeju, Korea on Monday.
Sumit got off to a good start, courtesy his agility while dodging the opponent and powerful attacking technique that gave him the upper hand in the first two rounds.
Promising youngster Jadumani Singh upstaged seasoned campaigner Amit Panghal to storm into the final
Reigning 48kg world champion Meenakshi Hooda, scheduled to fight in the opening bout in the women's section, was seen curled up on a yoga mat inside the hall late afternoon, conserving energy while waiting for word on when she would fight.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
The boxing selection camp for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games will resume with a revised, trial-based system after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) directed the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to ensure a fair and transparent assessment process.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Athletics forms the largest group with 73 participants, including star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Jyothi Yarraji. Other prominent sports like shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, and wrestling also feature strong teams, with some adjustments made due to doping violations.
Four Indian boxers have been promoted to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group following their impressive performances at the 2026 Asian Boxing Elite Championships, while three others have been inducted into the Development group.
Priya Ghanghas's journey from a small boxing academy in Haryana to becoming the Asian Boxing Champion is a testament to dedication, talent, and a coach's unwavering belief.
Head coach Santiago Nieva is focusing on technical discipline and a tighter defensive guard for the Indian women's boxing team at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Former Indian boxing coach Mohammed Ali Qamar believes the country's women's boxing squad for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games is one of its best ever, with each of the seven members capable of securing a medal, though he cautioned that draws would be crucial.
Indian boxers Preeti Pawar and Priya Ghanghas have secured at least two bronze medals for the nation at the Commonwealth Games by advancing to the semifinals of their respective weight categories. Preeti dominated her 54kg quarterfinal with a unanimous decision, while Priya overcame a tough challenge in the 60kg division with a split decision win. However, Parveen Hooda was eliminated in her 65kg quarterfinal bout.
Indian boxers are set to compete at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, aiming for medals and direct qualification for major multi-sport events later in the year, including the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
Indian boxers are set to compete at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, aiming for medals and direct qualification for major multi-sport events later in the year.
India is sending a 125-member contingent to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with established stars like Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain, alongside rising talents such as Aryan Nehra and Gurindervir Singh, expected to lead the nation's medal charge across 13 disciplines.
India's U-20 football team delivered a dominant performance, defeating Pakistan 3-0 to secure a spot in the SAFF U-20 Championship semifinals, with Omang Dodum scoring twice.
Nikhat, who recently won a silver medal at the Elite Women's Boxing Tournament 2025, is bolstering her preparations and hopes to make India proud by clinching a medal.
The 23-year-old Jamwal registered a comprehensive unanimous decision victory over Assam's Shiva, underlining his emergence from the shadow of his senior compatriot.
This was Sonia's first major international event having risen to senior level by winning a gold in the National Championships in 2016. Last year, she won a gold in the Serbia Cup. She won a bronze in the Ahmet Comert Boxing Tournament this year.
Sixteen-year-old para cyclist Lisha Das from Assam has made history by becoming the youngest athlete selected to represent India at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she will compete in the Para Track Cycling event.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has suspended a boxing assessment camp in Patiala due to irregularities in the selection process, demanding transparency and fairness from the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
India finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with 39 medals, overcoming the absence of traditional medal-winning sports. The contingent's success was driven by a record-breaking boxing campaign, a historic performance in judo, and strong contributions from para athletes, showcasing the country's expanding sporting depth.
Six-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom believes Indian pugilists will secure a 'reasonably good medal haul' at the Commonwealth Games, though gold might be elusive, while expressing less certainty for the Asian Games. She also criticised the Boxing Federation of India's functioning and selection policies.
India pumped five past Bhutan in the Under-23 men's Tri-Nation Football Championship 2026 at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh, on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's strong bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games and detailed plans for a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to ensure significant participation and success in the event. He highlighted the success of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and India's growing presence in global sports.
Indian boxing legend Mary Kom is considering a move to professional boxing after age restrictions ended her amateur career. She remains committed to grassroots development and praises government initiatives to promote sports and fitness.
IOA president P T Usha expressed disappointment over athletes being caught in controversies, saying such issues negatively impact them.
World Junior bronze-medallist Sachin Singh (49kg) became only the third Indian boxer ever to strike gold at the AIBA Youth World Championships with a stunning unanimous victory over Cuban national champion Jorge Grinan in the summit clash at St Peterburg, Russia, on Saturday.
A new book, "Heroes: The Changemakers of Indian Sports" by journalist-author Thirumoy Banerjee, chronicles the inspiring journeys of 15 Indian athletes, including Manu Bhaker, C A Bhavani Devi, Nikhat Zareen, Aman Kumar Kadyan, and Sumit Antil. It highlights their determination, resilience, and triumphs over setbacks, offering insights into their paths to success and celebrating their unwavering spirit.
The year began on an unusually dull note with boxers absent from most international competition in the aftermath of a medal-less Olympic campaign.
President Murmu honours Indian women boxers after medal haul in Liverpool
Mary was back in her preferred 48kg category as she overcame the challenge from younger competitors to make it to the Indian team for the marquee continental event, which is to be held from November 2 to November 11 in the Ho Chi Minh City.
