- By Sunny Daud
- Sat, 01 Aug 2026 11:48 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ankush Panghal delivered a strong comeback to win the men’s 80kg boxing gold medal for India at the Commonwealth Games 2026, defeating England’s Dimeji Shittu by a 4-1 split decision in the final on Saturday.
The final did not begin the way Ankush would have wanted. Shittu dominated the opening round, winning it 5-0 and even sending the Indian boxer to the canvas with a knockdown. However, Ankush stayed composed and gradually turned the contest in his favour.
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He fought back brilliantly in the second round, edging it 3-2. Shittu was also penalised after the referee warned him for repeatedly keeping his head too low, which resulted in a point deduction. The warning proved costly as Ankush built momentum heading into the final round.
The Indian boxer remained in control in the third round. Shittu received another warning for the same offence, while Ankush impressed the judges with his clean punches and smart movement to seal a memorable victory.
Ankush had reached the gold medal bout after an impressive semifinal performance, where he outclassed Canada's Joshua Ofori with a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision.
With this triumph, India's boxing team has now won nine medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026, including seven golds and two silvers. The gold medallists are Sachin Siwach, Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, Priya Ghanghas and Ankush Panghal. Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Jadumani Singh finished with silver medals.