Nine medals assured! India's boxers make CWG history

Indian boxers have showcased exceptional prowess at the Commonwealth Games, securing nine semifinal spots and guaranteeing a minimum of nine bronze medals for the nation. Key PointsIndian boxers secured four more semifinal berths at the Commonwealth Games, bringing the total to eight.This achievement guarantees India a minimum of eight bronze medals in the boxing competition.Ankush Yadav (80kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), and Sachin Siwach (60kg) were the latest to advance.Sakshi Chaudhary demonstrated superior footwork and ringcraft to defeat Northern Irelands Caitlin Fryers.Sachin Siwach and Ankush Yadav both secured unanimous 5-0 decisions in their respective bouts.It was a flawless day for Indias boxing contingent at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday as Narender Berwal joined Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary and Sachin Siwach in the semifinals, making it five wins out of five bouts for the country on the day.With the five wins on Wednesday, the number of Indian boxers in the semifinals rose to nine as the feat has already eclipsed Indias boxing tally from the Birmingham 2022, where the country had finished with seven medals -- three gold, one silver and three bronze. Indias Boxing Dominance ContinuesThe five boxers on the day joined Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg) and Jadumani Singh (55kg), who have already secured semifinal berths, ensuring at least nine bronze medals for India from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games boxing competition.While Sakshi (51kg) defeated Northern Irelands Caitlin Fryers 5-0, Arundhati (70kg) had to work hard for her 3-1 win against New Zealands Morgan Henderson to assure themselves of at least a bronze medal.Siwach And Yadav Secure MedalsFormer world youth champion Siwach also assured himself of at least a bronze after storming into the mens 60kg semifinals. The world No. 5 Indian outclassed Botswanas Treasure Moremi 5-0 by unanimous decision, producing a composed performance and winning convincingly on all five judges scorecards.In the fourth bout of the session, last years World Boxing Cup Finals silver medallist Ankush Yadav entered the mens 80kg semifinals with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision over Seychelles Jade Micock.Later Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal also advanced after edging Samoas Michael Seko 3-2 by split decision in a hard-fought mens 90+kg quarterfinal.In a contest marked by repeated referee interventions and two point deductions against the Indian, Berwal twice forced standing counts on Seko, including in the decisive final round.The judges eventually ruled 3-2 in Berwals favour, making him the fifth Indian boxer to reach the semifinals on the day.The Indians sharp combinations and solid defence helped him dictate the pace as he took the opening round on all five judges scorecards.Yadav maintained his dominance in the second round, repeatedly beating Micock with his superior speed and movement as Micock struggled to match the Indians intensity.Yadav won 30-26 on one judges card and 30-27 on the remaining four, sealing a unanimous 5-0 verdict and becoming the fourth Indian boxer to make the semifinals on Wednesday.Sakshi Chaudharys Strategic VictoryEarlier in the day, making full use of her height and reach advantage, Sakshi, who has moved down from the 54kg weight class, dictated the contest from the opening bell, keeping Fryers at bay with crisp, accurate jabs and well-timed straight punches.Her strategy was to fight from close range and she kept clinching. Mine was to box from long range which is my forte, Sakshi told PTI after the bout.The Irish boxer tried to unsettle Sakshi with constant aggression, throwing punches in volume, but the Indian remained composed, slipping and evading most of the attacks before responding with cleaner, more effective combinations.Mastering The Ring: Sakshis TacticsThe bout featured frequent clinches as both boxers got tangled at close quarters, even tumbling to the canvas during one exchange in round 2. But Sakshi never lost control of the contest.Despite Fryers relentless pressure, Sakshi controlled the distance brilliantly, using her superior footwork and ringcraft to dictate the pace from start to finish and seal a comfortable victory.