World No. 3 Preeti secured India another boxing medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after producing a commanding performance against Northern Ireland’s Nicole Clyde in the women’s 54kg quarterfinal on Tuesday.

The Indian advanced to the semifinals with a unanimous 5-0 points victory, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze medal.

Preeti established control from the opening bell, using crisp straight punches and intelligent movement to keep Clyde at bay. The Northern Irish boxer attempted to apply pressure by coming forward, but Preeti repeatedly disrupted her advances with a sharp lead hand and quick one-two combinations.

Her accuracy soon brought the first standing eight-count of the contest. Preeti also found success at close range, slipping inside Clyde’s guard and landing an uppercut as she took the opening round on all five judges’ scorecards.

Preeti’s lead hand continued to work effectively in the second round. She remained solid in defence and repeatedly caught Clyde with straight punches before following up with combinations.

Another sustained attack resulted in Clyde receiving a second standing eight-count, leaving Preeti firmly in control heading into the final round.

The Indian maintained her composure in the third, picking her moments rather than being drawn into an untidy exchange. Her clean punching forced a third standing eight-count for Clyde as Preeti completed a dominant performance.

The judges scored the contest 30-25, 30-25, 30-26, 30-26 and 30-27 in Preeti’s favour, sealing a comprehensive victory and a place on the Commonwealth Games medal podium.

Preeti is slated to face Zambia’s Catherine Mwape in the semifinal at 3:15 p.m. IST on Friday.

Priya Ghanghas overturns slow start to secure medal

World No. 4 Priya Ghanghas recovered from a difficult opening round to defeat Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell by a 4-1 split decision in the women’s 60kg quarterfinal, securing at least a bronze medal at the ongoing Games.

The 19-year-old Mitchell began strongly and claimed the first round on four of the five judges’ cards, with Priya struggling initially to impose herself against the home boxer.

However, the Indian responded with greater urgency in the second round, turning the contest around by taking the frame on four cards. Both boxers were also handed one-point deductions during the round, leaving the bout finely balanced ahead of the final three minutes.

Priya then produced her most decisive boxing in the third round, which all five judges awarded to the Indian. Her strong finish proved crucial as she earned winning totals of 28-27 from three judges and 29-26 from another. The fifth judge scored the contest 28-27 in Mitchell’s favour.

The victory sent Priya into the semifinal and assured India of another boxing medal in Glasgow.

Parveen’s late charge falls short against Hickey

Parveen Hooda produced a strong final-round fightback but suffered a narrow 3-2 split-decision defeat to England’s Sacha Hickey in the women’s 65kg quarterfinal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Tuesday.

Hickey, the 2024 European Under-23 champion and current world No. 6, established an early advantage by taking the opening round on four of the five judges’ cards. A long straight caught Parveen cleanly in the closing seconds and helped the English boxer edge the round.

Parveen Hooda suffered a narrow 3-2 split-decision defeat to Sacha Hickey in the quarterfinal round. | Photo Credit: PTI

The second followed a similar pattern, with Hickey landing a corkscrew right near the bell and again earning a 4-1 split. However, the scores remained close, with four judges having the contest level at 19-19 entering the final round.

Parveen responded impressively, scoring with a left cross, right hand and repeated jabs while making Hickey miss with her corkscrew right. All five judges awarded the third round to the Indian, but Hickey’s early lead proved decisive.

Hickey won 29-28 on three cards, while Parveen took the other two 29-28.

More to follow…

Published on Jul 28, 2026