Lovlina Borgohain assured India of its first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after receiving a direct entry into the semifinals of the women's 75kg boxing event, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist was handed a first-round bye in the five-boxer draw, earning an automatic place in the last four. Lovlina will take on Tuvalu's TKBP Taafaki in the semifinal on July 31, with the winner advancing to the gold medal bout. India thus opened their medal account at the Glasgow Games even before the opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro arena on Thursday.
According to the Commonwealth Games boxing rules, all the losing semifinalists are presented with a bronze medal, which would guarantee the Indian boxer Lovlina at least a bronze before she begins her opening bout in Scotland. Lovlina was among the three competitors who advanced to the semifinal competition, while the remaining two were slated to contest the lone quarterfinal.
Cricket excluded from Commonwealth Games 2026
The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games is all set to begin in Glasgow. But this year’s Common Wealth Games has some changes, as the organisers excluded nine sporting events from the multi-sport event to reduce costs. Cricket is one of the sports excluded from the 2026 Commonwealth Games. India Women previously took part in the competition at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The decision was driven by severe financial constraints and limited planning time after the original host, Victoria (Australia), pulled out due to ballooning costs.
India will be represented by a 124-member contingent in Glasgow and Lovlina had been one of India’s biggest medal-winning hopes in the quadrennial event. The challenge for the Assamese boxer would be to deliver in the next two matches and emerge victorious. A win in her next match would seal at least a silver medal for India. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will begin with the opening ceremony, which takes place at the OVO Hydro. The ceremony will start at around 12:30 AM IST and India will be hoping to have a successful event.
