Indian boxers Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal, who secured gold and silver at CWG 2026, have set their sights on the Asian Games. The successful contingent received a warm welcome in Delhi, vowing to win more medals for the country.
Indian pugilists Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal, who secured the gold and silver medals at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026, now have their eyes on the Asian Games gold after their success in Glasgow. The Indian boxing contingent, which pulled off the country's best CWG 2026 medal haul with seven gold medals and overall 10 medals, received a warm welcome at the Delhi Airport.
Ankush and Narender spoke to ANI upon their return to India.
Boxers Share Aspirations After Warm Welcome
Ankush said, "I am feeling very good. Keep supporting us like this, we will keep winning more medals for our country. I cannot describe that feeling when our National Anthem played. Now I want to win gold in the Asian Games."
Narender, a silver medalist at CWG 2026, who captured the 10th and final medal for the Indian team in boxing, also vowed to deliver even better in the upcoming Asian Games in Japan from September 14 onwards, saying that the preparations are going well and the government support is also really good. "Everyone performed well. This was my first performance in CWG, and I prepared fully, but won silver. Asian Games is in 2 months and I will try to perform my best in it. The entire team is preparing well, and the government is also completely supportive."
Another silver medalist, Jadumani Singh, also expressed his happiness with the reception on coming back home, saying, "We feel great after receiving this sort of welcome after playing a major competition."
Recap of the Final Bouts
Panghal delivered India's seventh gold medal in boxing, defeating England's Dimeji Shittu 4-1 in a split decision in the men's 80kg final.
In the men's 90+kg final, Narender was beaten by England's Damar Thomas, losing 0-5 in a unanimous decision to settle for the silver medal. Despite the defeat, his podium finish capped a memorable campaign for the Indian boxing contingent.
In the men's category, Jadumani Singh finished with a silver medal after going down 0-5 to Australia's Jye Dixon in the men's 55kg final.
CWG 2026 Overview and a Look Ahead
The 2026 Games were hosted under a compact format, leading to the removal of major Indian medal-earning events like shooting, wrestling, and badminton. India finished fourth in the medals table at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.
India officially began its journey towards hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Amdavad as the Commonwealth Games Flag was ceremonially handed over during a spectacular Closing Ceremony that celebrated the conclusion of Glasgow 2026 and looked ahead to the historic centenary edition of the Games. (ANI)
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