Preeti, Jaismine strike gold as boxers make dream start to Commonwealth Games finals

India enjoyed a dream start to the boxing finals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games as Preeti Pawar and Jaismine Lamboria clinched gold medals in their respective weight categories on Saturday.

The victories marked the perfect opening to a historic day for Indian boxing, with 10 boxers scheduled to contest gold medal bouts in Glasgow.

Preeti was the first Indian to step into the ring and made no mistake, defeating Scarlett Delgado of Canada by a unanimous decision to claim the women's 54kg title.

The bout began as a tactical affair, with Delgado looking to unsettle the Indian through aggressive combinations. Preeti, however, settled into the contest quickly, took the opening round unanimously and never relinquished control, comfortably sealing the gold medal.

Moments later, reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria added another gold to India's tally in the women's 57kg category.

Facing Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland, Jaismine relied on her superior reach and ring craft to dictate the pace of the contest. After edging a closely fought opening round on a split verdict, the Indian tightened her defence and boxed with greater control in the second, taking it unanimously.

Walsh attempted an all-out attack in the final round, but Jaismine remained composed, landing timely counter-punches before securing a unanimous decision victory to add the Commonwealth Games crown to her growing list of achievements.

The gold also marked an upgrade for Jaismine, who had settled for bronze at the previous edition of the Games. Having already established herself as a world champion, she can now call herself a Commonwealth Games champion as well.

India's dominant start underlined the country's growing stature in international boxing. After assuring 10 medals by reaching the finals across multiple weight categories, the contingent has now begun converting those opportunities into gold.

With several more Indian boxers, including Jadumani Singh, Arundhati Choudhary, Ankush Panghal, Narender Berwal and others still to step into the ring later in the day, India will look to add to its tally in what could prove to be one of the nation's most successful days in Commonwealth Games boxing history.

More to follow...