Glasgow, July 31 (IANS) India’s Ankush Panghal assured the country of at least a silver medal after outclassing Canada’s Joshua Ofori 5-0 to storm into the final of the men’s 80kg boxing at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Friday.
Displaying control, precision and composure throughout the contest, Ankush dominated the semifinal to register his third successive unanimous decision victory of the campaign and move within one win of the gold medal.
The Indian set the tone from the opening bell, dictating the pace with crisp straight punches and powerful hooks that repeatedly found their mark. His sharp movement and clean combinations left Ofori struggling to settle into the bout. With this, he won the opening round unanimously.
Ankush tightened his grip on the contest in the second round, mixing accurate right hooks with quick combinations while maintaining defensive discipline to win the round.
Ofori attempted to mount a comeback in the final round and landed a left hook after Ankush briefly dropped his guard. The closing exchanges turned into an aggressive battle with both boxers trading punches, but the Indian had already built a commanding lead through the opening two rounds.
The judges reflected Ankush’s superiority, with four officials scoring the contest 30-26 and the fifth awarding it 29-27 in his favour.
The victory guarantees India at least a silver medal in the men’s 80kg category, with Ankush now set to compete for gold in the final.
Earlier in the day, World No. 3 Preeti Pawar became the first Indian boxer to reach a final in Glasgow after producing a commanding 5-0 victory over Zambia’s Catherine Mwape in the women’s 54kg semifinal.
After an evenly contested start, Preeti gradually took charge with sharp jabs and accurate left-hand punches, forcing Mwape to take a standing eight-count in the opening round.
The Zambian tried to increase the tempo in the second round, but Preeti remained composed, using swift footwork to create angles before landing clean combinations and powerful right hands. Her sustained pressure resulted in two more standing counts against Mwape as she moved further ahead.
Preeti continued to box smartly in the final round, circling the ring effectively and landing clean shots to the body while neutralising Mwape’s attacks. All five judges awarded the contest to the Indian, sealing another dominant unanimous decision.
With the victory, Preeti also assured India of at least a silver medal and will take on Canada’s Scarlett Delgado in the women’s 54kg gold medal bout.
–IANS
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