Indian boxer Jadumani Singh Mandengbam produced a stunning performance to beat Pakistan’s Sumama Rehman 5-0 in a surprising upset to set up a quarterfinals clash at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The victory came on the prestigious Kargil Vijay Diwas for India, while the Services boxer had the support of his Army colleagues. Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, who fights under the Services banner, moved to the men’s 55kg boxing quarterfinals and kept India’s hopes of winning medals alive.
Jadumani, an Indian Army employee, stunned Sumama in the boxing match. His boxing skills, tactical moves, and brilliant footwork allowed him to beat a much taller opponent in all three rounds. Singh Mandengbam then expressed his feelings about the thrilling match and said that he dedicated the win to India’s Kargil heroes.
“ This victory of mine, this win, is dedicated to our Kargil heroes. First of all, I want to salute them.Today, it felt very good to win against Pakistan. While I was playing, I was showing everyone that India is at the top, so I was playing for India,” said Singh Mandengbam.
Meanwhile, he is gearing up for the next match in the quarterfinals and hopes to win gold for India. “ Now, I have to perform brilliantly and win gold for the country in the next match in the quarterfinals,” he added.
Mirabai Chanu, Rishikanta Singh lead India's medal charge at Commonwealth Games 2026
India has made a highly promising and determined start at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, standing eighth in the overall rankings with four medals. The initial charge has been spearheaded by India’s powerhouse weightlifters and para-athletes at the Scottish venues. Iconic weightlifter Mirabai Chanu created history by capturing India's first gold medal of the Games in the women’s 48kg category, executing a spectacular, record-breaking total lift of 190kg to secure a phenomenal hat-trick of consecutive CWG titles.
Building on this momentum in weightlifting, Rishikanta Singh clinched a brilliant silver in the men’s 60kg division with a new Games snatch record, while Muthupandi Raja added a second silver in the men’s 65kg event. Earlier, para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar proudly opened India's official medal account by securing a hard-fought bronze in the men’s heavyweight final.
Beyond the early podium finishes, India's broader campaign remains robust; Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain has already mathematically assured India a boxing medal after receiving a quarter-final bye. Concurrently, key athletes like long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and hurdler Tejas Shirse have stormed into their respective finals, keeping India's high-octane medal hunt alive.
