7 golds in boxing ring power India's best-ever CWG show
Boxers punched their way to a record-breaking haul of seven gold medals, while judokas and para track and field athletes also shone on the most productive day for India in the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.
On the penultimate day of competitions, India jumped to the fourth spot in the medal table with 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze for a total of 39 podium finishes. Australia led the medal table with 62 gold medals, followed by England (26 gold) and Canada (18 gold).
Out of the eight gold won by the Indians, boxers contributed seven in their best ever show in the Commonwealth Games. India topped the boxing medal table with seven gold and three silver.
The other gold was won by Soman Rana in the men's F57 para shot put event.
Most gold by the boxers
In the boxing ring, India reigned supreme with their women pugilists living up to their billing with a dominant five-gold haul, while Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal sealed the men's titles as the country produced its greatest-ever performance in the sport at the Commonwealth Games.
Reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Asian Games medallist Preeti Pawar (54kg), Asian champion Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) won gold medals, while Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) settled for silver.
In the men's competition, Sachin (60kg) and Ankush (70kg) struck gold, while Jadumani Singh (55kg) and Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal (+90kg) finished with silver medals.
India's previous best boxing campaign at the Commonwealth Games came in Gold Coast in 2018, when it won seven medals, including three gold.
Best ever show by judokas
In judo, Unnati Sharma clinched a bronze medal in the women's 63kg event to continue the country's historic run at the Commonwealth Games.
Unnati defeated South Africa's Skye Knoester by ippon, wrapping up the contest in just 1 minute and 7 seconds with a decisive move, hooking her leg to unbalance Knoester before throwing her cleanly onto her back to earn an ippon -- the highest score in judo -- and seal the bout instantly
The Indian had earlier gone down to Australia's Saya Middleton in the semifinal but bounced back strongly to secure a place on the podium with an emphatic victory.
The bronze was India's fourth medal in judo, continuing the country's best-ever Commonwealth Games campaign in the sport.
The historic run was led by Harsh Singh (men's -60kg) and Asmita Dey (women's -48kg), who became India's first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medallists with twin titles on Saturday.
Yamini Mourya added a silver in the women's -57kg category, giving India their record haul.
India will have a chance to add to their record tally on the concluding day on Sunday, with Ishroop Narang (women's -78kg), Avtar Singh (men's -100kg) and Yash Ghangas (men's +100kg) all in medal contention.
In the final bout of the day, India's Harsh Tokas narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the men's -81kg judo, losing to Australia's Keishin Ochi by ippon.
However, Inunganbi Takhellambam (women's -70kg) and Karanjit Singh Maan (men's -90kg) bowed out after losing their repechage bouts.
Record show by para athletes
In athletics, Rana won the men's F57 para shot put gold with a season-best effort of 13.40m, leading an Indian one-two as compatriot Shubham Juyal claimed silver with 13.28m.
Gulveer Singh scripted history as he became the first Indian to win a 5000m medal in the Commonwealth Games with a bronze as well as the first track and field athlete from the country to win two medals in a single edition of the Games.
Reigning Asian champion Gulveer, who had won a silver in the 10,000m on July 28, finished third in the 5000m with a time of 13 minute 24.95 seconds to complete a historic double on the concluding day of the athletics competition.
India also celebrated a double podium finish in the men's triple jump, with Praveen Chithravel taking silver with 16.58m and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran securing bronze with 16.52m behind Jamaica's Jordan Scott (16.72m).
Ramesh Shanmugam finished seventh in the men's T54 1500m para final, while Priyanka Goswami was placed seventh in the women's 10,000m race walk with a season-best time of 45:53.93. Ravina was disqualified in the same event.
In the men's pole vault, national record holder Dev Kumar Meena finished fourth after clearing 5.30m while compatriot Kuldeep Kumar was sixth with 5.10m.
It was a historic moment for Indian para sports athletes in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games as they equaled the haul of all the previous editions put together, winning seven medals, including one gold and silver on Saturday.
The 28-member Indian para sports contingent ended their campaign with seven medals -- 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. On Sunday, Indians will feature in track cycling and para track cycling events.
It is the best ever performance for Indian para sports in the Commonwealth Games.
Since the introduction of para-sports in the CWG in 2002 edition in Manchester, India have won a total of seven medals -- one gold, two silver and four bronze.
In the 2022 Birmingham Games, Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel won a gold and a bronze respectively in para table tennis.
Sudhir, who won gold in para powerlifting in Birmingham, was later stripped of his medal after failing an in-competition dope test.
In Glasgow, para track and field athletes scooped six medals -- 3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze -- while Jhandu Kumar clinched the other bronze in para powerlifting.
The para athletics team also ended India’s 20-year wait for a medal at the CWG. The last medal from para athletics before Glasgow came from Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan in the men's seated Discus Throw event in the 2006 edition.
