India’s Sakshi reaches boxing quarterfinals, Mirabai Chanu wins gold at Commonwealth Games
Boxing and Lawn Bowls Updates
In the Commonwealth Games 2026, India’s Putul Sonowal exited the men’s singles lawn bowls competition. He faced a 1.5-0.5 defeat against Kenya’s Hamada in his final sectional match. Despite a strong effort in the sixth end, where he gained two points to take a 5-4 lead, the decisive seventh end saw both players struggling for accuracy. Although Sonowal initially held an advantage, Hamada’s final delivery secured the second set at 5-5, sealing the match.
Following this defeat, Sonowal concluded his singles campaign in fifth place in the standings, recording two wins and three losses. He finished ahead of Hamada in the overall standings.
Weightlifting and Athletics Highlights
The clean and jerk segment of the weightlifting competition is progressing, with several athletes surpassing the 100kg mark. Among them, South Africa’s Anneke Spies-Burger successfully lifted 101kg. Australia’s Ashley Kolomoisky initially cleared 100kg and later improved to 104kg. Wales’ Catrin Haf Jones achieved a personal best with a successful lift of 106kg.
India’s Bindyarani Devi is yet to make her first clean and jerk attempt. Her declared opening weight is set at 113kg, which is currently the highest starting lift in the field. However, Nigeria’s Rafiatu Lawal is anticipated to increase her opening weight before her turn on the platform. Bindyarani matched Pratt’s effort with a successful 87kg lift on her third attempt. Bindyarani maintained her lead over Pratt on countback, having registered 85kg as her second-best lift compared to Pratt’s 84kg.
In swimming, India’s Swatik Patil secured a spot in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 final. He finished fourth in his heat with a time of 1:15.85. This fourth-place finish automatically qualified him for the final, which is scheduled for 12:02 AM on Tuesday, July 28.
Tejas Shirse has qualified for the men’s 110m hurdles final, clocking 13.76 seconds. His personal best of 13.27 seconds, which is also the national record, suggests he has the potential for a stronger performance. If Shirse can achieve a time close to his personal best, he could be a strong contender for a medal. His national record time would have placed him as the third-fastest across the heats, while his qualifying time was the seventh-fastest overall. The final is scheduled for 2:15 AM.
Mirabai Chanu’s Golden Performance
Mirabai Chanu secured a gold medal in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games. Her victory was marked by a display of patriotism, as she wore butterfly-shaped hair clips made from tricolour ribbons during her performance. These clips were a tribute to her country, which she was determined to make proud.
Mirabai explained that she created the butterfly clips with Indian flag-coloured ribbons the night before her competition, stating her desire to do something for India. The tricolour remained a significant part of her experience even after the competition concluded.
While standing on the podium and listening to the Indian national anthem, Mirabai found it difficult to control her emotions. She described these as tears of joy, noting that she had won India’s first gold medal in the Commonwealth Games. She also expressed gratitude to the people of India for their prayers, referring to her tears as those of happiness.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
