Five Indian boxers storm Commonwealth Games finals, set sights on gold

India moved closer to a rich medal haul in boxing at the Commonwealth Games after five boxers booked their places in the finals with commanding semifinal victories on Friday. Arundhati Choudhary, Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Ankush Panghal and Jadumani Singh will now fight for gold after producing a series of dominant performances.

The biggest result of the day came from Arundhati Choudhary, who upset defending champion Rosie Eccles of Wales in the women's 70kg semifinal. The Indian prevailed 4-0 after taking control in the opening two rounds, during which Eccles was forced to take a standing count. Despite a scrappy and heated contest, Arundhati maintained her composure to secure a place in the final.

World champion Jaismine Lamboria barely broke a sweat in her women's 57kg semifinal, forcing a Referee Stops Contest (RSC) victory over her opponent from Lesotho. Jaismine's relentless attack led to the Lesotho boxer receiving her third standing count in the closing seconds of the second round, bringing the contest to an early end.

In the men's 55kg category, Jadumani Singh advanced to the gold medal bout with a clinical 5-0 unanimous decision over Namibia's P. P. M. Haoseb, controlling the contest throughout.

Preeti Pawar was equally impressive as she outclassed Zambia's Catherine Mwape with a unanimous 5-0 verdict in the women's 54kg semifinal.

The 22-year-old Asian Games bronze medallist from Bhiwani dictated the pace from the opening bell, repeatedly drawing Mwape into range before punishing her with sharp counter-attacks. Her left straight proved particularly effective as the Zambian struggled to find answers.

Mwape was handed three standing counts across the opening two rounds, highlighting Preeti's complete control. All five judges scored the second round 10-8 in favour of the Indian, and with the bout slipping away, Mwape spent much of the final round trying to avoid further punishment.

Speaking after the victory, Preeti said she was pleased to execute the strategy worked out with her coaches.

"I am very happy that I have managed to do what I prepared for. I have to give my best tomorrow (Saturday) for the gold medal. I never take my opponents lightly, and always prepare in detail with my coaches. I am happy that I am able to implement those plans," she told PTI.

Preeti will now face Canada's Scarlett Delgado in the final after the Canadian defeated England's Lauren Mackie 4-1 in the other semifinal.

In the men's 80kg division, Ankush Panghal also progressed comfortably with a 5-0 victory over Joshua Ofori.

Although Ofori attempted to increase the intensity early in the second round, Ankush absorbed the pressure before responding with clean combinations. The Indian had already established control in the opening rounds, forcing his opponent into repeated clinches before sealing another unanimous victory.

With five finalists confirmed, India now has a strong opportunity to add multiple gold medals to its boxing campaign as the competition heads into the championship bouts.

With PTI inputs