CHANDIGARH: Athletes from Haryana once again dominated India's medal tally at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, with boxers leading the charge by winning six gold and one bronze medal. The state also secured medals in discus throw and javelin, while Punjab athletes added two silver medals in weightlifting.
The women pugilists from Bhiwani, known as "India's Cuba" for its rich boxing heritage, won four gold medals, further enhancing the town's reputation as a boxing powerhouse.
In the men's category, Haryana boxers claimed two gold medals and one bronze. Seema Kaliraman, also from Bhiwani, won a bronze medal in the discus throw, while Neeraj Chopra had to be content with a silver medal in the javelin throw. Meanwhile, two players from Punjab won silver medals in weightlifting.
The five women boxers, Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Priya Ghanghas (60kg), won four gold medals.
The performance of Preeti, a Naib Subedar in the Army who belongs to Badesra village in Bhiwani district, was a one sided affair as she registered a 5-0 victory over Canada's Scarlett Delgado in the final. Her father, Sombir, said that Preeti had promised the family that she would return with a medal and had kept her promise.
"Her mother will welcome her home with 'churma' and 'kheer'," he said.
She belongs to a family of sportspersons, with her father, grandfather and great grandfather all being renowned wrestlers in the region.
Another Naib Subedar, Jaismine Lamboria, won a gold medal by defeating Northern Ireland's Michaela Walsh. She had won a bronze medal at the previous Commonwealth Games.
In the 51kg flyweight category, 25-year-old Sakshi Chaudhary, who represents the Indian Army and trains at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune, delivered a masterclass in aggressive, front foot boxing to dismantle England's Ruby White in a unanimous 5-0 verdict and clinch another gold medal for the country.
In the 60kg lightweight category, Priya Ghanghas, cousin of Sakshi, also won a gold medal, turning the Commonwealth Games boxing finals into a celebrated showcase of Haryana's rich combat sports lineage and completing the family's golden sweep.
In the men's category, Sachin Siwach of Bhiwani won the gold medal in the 60kg category, while 19 year old Ankush Panghal of Hisar clinched gold in the 80kg category after registering a 4-1 split decision victory.
His father, Suresh Panghal, a farmer, said Ankush took up boxing at the age of 12 and began training under coach Pradeep in Hisar. He is currently training with the Army at a sports centre in Bengaluru.
Narender Berwal bagged the bronze medal in the 90+kg category.
Bhiwani Boxing Club president Kamal Singh Pradhan said the women boxers had outperformed their male counterparts this time and that it was a proud moment to watch girls from the state, especially Bhiwani, dominate the international boxing arena.
Meanwhile, 27 year old Seema Kaliraman, from Dinod village in Bhiwani, won a bronze medal in the discus throw with a best effort of 58.65 metres.
Speaking to the media, Seema, who is pursuing a PhD, said she had nurtured the dream of winning an international medal since childhood and continued training even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her personal coach is her husband, Ravinder, a former discus thrower whose career was cut short by injury. Seema regained her fitness and strength after giving birth to her son, Rudra, in 2022, having stayed away from competition for two seasons during her pregnancy.
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who entered the Commonwealth Games after recovering from back and arm injuries, bagged a silver medal in Glasgow.
"We are happy with the performance. Every athlete tries to give their best at the international level, but they face immense pressure during competition," said Satish Chopra, Neeraj's father, as he distributed laddoos after the result.
Athletes from neighbouring Punjab also added to India's medal tally at the Games.
Twenty nine year old Harjinder Kaur, who was recently honoured with the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, won a silver medal in the women's 69kg weightlifting event, adding to the bronze medal she had secured at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The daughter of a marginal farmer from Mehas village in Nabha, Punjab, overcame financial hardship to reach the podium.
The financial condition of the family was poor, and her father, Sahib Singh, took loans to ensure that his daughter could continue pursuing her dream and receive proper training.
Every day, she cycled nearly five kilometres from Mehas village to Nabha to attend school. After school, she regularly helped her father in the fields by cutting straw with a chaff machine to feed the cattle.
Her brother, Pritpal Singh, said his sister had told him she would return with either a gold or a silver medal.
Lovepreet Singh, who serves in the Indian Navy and hails from Bal Sachandar village in Amritsar district, won the silver medal in the men's +110kg weightlifting event.
His father, Kirpal Singh, a tailor, said Lovepreet took up weightlifting while studying in Class VII.
Before leaving for training, he would accompany his grandfather, Gurmej Singh, and paternal uncle, who earned a living by selling vegetables, to the wholesale vegetable market early every morning. He would help them unload the vegetables before heading for practice.