India’s Ankush and Sachin Siwach made a strong statement on Monday as the boxing duo entered the quarterfinals of their respective events at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026. Making his CWG debut, Ankush produced a commanding performance, defeating Antigua and Barbuda’s Zalaan Jan by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the men’s 80kg category.
The 22-year-old looked composed from the opening bell, landing accurate punches and controlling the pace of the bout with sharp counter-attacking. Ankush swept the first round with all five judges scoring in his favour after he connected with clean hooks and held a strong defensive approach.
Building on his early advantage, Ankush continued to dictate the contest in the second round. He moved in and out of range effortlessly, frustrating Jan’s attempts to mount an attack and once again secured a clean sweep from the judges. With a commanding lead heading into the final round, Ankush stayed disciplined and focused on maintaining control.
He landed a series of powerful combinations before following his coaches’ instructions to keep his distance and avoid unnecessary exchanges. Jan managed to find brief moments of success, including pinning Ankush against the ropes, but the Indian boxer remained in control and comfortably ran down the clock to complete a one-sided victory.
Sachin Siwach wins four judges’ scorecards
On the other hand, Sachin produced a composed performance to beat England’s William Hewitt 4-1, winning four of the five judges’ scorecards in the men’s 60kg category. Judges 1, 2, 3 and 5 awarded Sachin a 29-27 victory, while Judge 4 favoured Hewitt with a 29-27 scoreline.
Sachin dominated the contest with consistent scoring across the three rounds. He won the first two rounds on four judges’ cards before securing the overall verdict despite one judge scoring the bout in Hewitt’s favour. The Indian then sealed the win despite a point deduction in the final round.
Both Sachin and Ankush are just a win away from confirming at least a bronze medal. In boxing, reaching the last four stage ensures an athlete of a medal. India’s Lovlina Borgohain has already assured India a medal after she was placed directly in the women’s 75kg category following Tokyo Olympics medallist receiving a bye.
India’s swimming hopes bank on Sajan Prakash
In swimming, Sajan Prakash booked his spot in the men’s 200m butterfly final after clocking 1:58.59 to finish second in Heat 2. The Indian was fourth after the opening 50m before producing a strong middle section to move into the lead at the halfway stage with a split of 56.31 seconds.
Home favourite Duncan Scott overtook him in the closing stages to win the heat, but Sajan’s time was enough to qualify automatically for the final. Prakash’s 1:58.59 was the seventh-fastest time across the three heats, earning him one of the eight places in the final. His PB is 1:57.09.
India have won four medals at CWG 2026 so far. Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu claimed the country’s only gold in the women’s 48kg weightlifting event, while Rishikanta Singh (men’s 60kg) and Muthupandi Raja (men’s 65kg) secured silver medals in weightlifting. Jhandu Kumar opened India’s account with a bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event.