Commonwealth Games 2026: All you need to know about Sumit Kundu

Sumit Kundu's story is one of the more remarkable ones in Indian boxing, a career that very nearly ended before it began, only to be revived by the goodwill of his own village.

Today, the Indian Army havildar competes in the men's 70kg category, and his journey from a security guard's job to the national boxing set-up is a testament to resilience built well before any of his results in the ring.

Early days

Born on November 1, 2002, in Dhakal village, Haryana, Sumit grew up in modest circumstances. He lost his father at a young age, and his mother took up tailoring work to support the family.

Sumit took up boxing in 2013, but as his family's financial situation worsened, he made the difficult decision to step away from the sport and take up a job as a security guard at a school to help make ends meet.

It took the intervention of elders from his village, who came forward with financial support, to convince him to return to boxing. That second chance proved decisive and Sumit has not looked back since.

Rising through the ranks

Sumit's comeback paid off quickly. He won gold at the National School Games in 2018 and was adjudged the best boxer on his way to becoming a junior national champion the same year, before adding another gold at the Khelo India Games in 2019.

The prize money from these early wins allowed him to invest properly in his diet and training for the first time, fuelling his rise through the domestic ranks.

His progress soon translated to the international stage. Sumit won gold in the 75kg category at the 2022 Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament in Phuket, seeing off the host nation's Peetapat Yeasungnoen in the final, a result that announced him as a serious contender heading into a maiden Commonwealth Games campaign.

He has since continued to test himself against elite international opposition, adding a bronze medal at the World Boxing Cup Final in 2025 and a bronze at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in 2022, further building his case as one of India's dependable campaigners in the middle divisions.

Sumit made his first Commonwealth Games appearance at Birmingham 2022, competing in the middleweight category, where he was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals by Australia's Callum Peters in a unanimous decision.

It was an early exit, but the experience of competing on that stage proved valuable. He'll look to better his performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.