Speaking after her semifinal win, Preeti stated, “There’s no pressure, but of course, it’s the final, so I’ll have to prepare more for it.
In the second round, Mwape sought to increase pressure; however, Preeti continued to outperform her with precise counter-punches.
In the final round, Mwape came out aggressively, but Preeti remained composed, landing clean body shots and left-right combinations to close the contest comfortably.
She sealed a unanimous decision to advance to the gold medal bout.
India has won 17 medals so far at the Commonwealth Games 2026, including three gold, nine silver and five bronze.
Indian boxer Preeti Pawar dedicated her assured medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 to the people of India and intends to give her best in the women’s 54kg gold medal contest after advancing to the final with a commanding semifinal victory over Zambia’s Catherine Mwape in Glasgow.
Speaking after her semifinal win, Preeti stated, “There’s no pressure, but of course, it’s the final, so I’ll have to prepare more for it. I’ll make my game plan according to that and give my best. I have very little time, but I’ll prepare now for the next opponent and how I need to fight.”
She expressed gratitude for the support she has received, saying, “This [medal] is for everyone because the whole of India has high hopes for me and everyone’s prayers and blessings are with me. Everyone has supported me, and this medal is for everyone.”
Having secured at least a bronze by reaching the semifinals, Preeti controlled her bout throughout. Boxing from a southpaw stance, she dominated the opening round with sharp combinations and smart movement, causing a standing count for Mwape and winning the round 5-0, with three judges scoring it 10-8, according to ESPN.
In the second round, Mwape sought to increase pressure; however, Preeti continued to outperform her with precise counter-punches. Another standing count against Mwape underscored Preeti’s dominance as all five judges awarded the round 10-8 to the Indian.
In the final round, Mwape came out aggressively, but Preeti remained composed, landing clean body shots and left-right combinations to close the contest comfortably. She sealed a unanimous decision to advance to the gold medal bout.
Preeti will face Canada’s Scarlett Delgado in the women’s 54kg final on Saturday, aiming to add a Commonwealth Games gold to the World Cup and Asian Championships titles she secured earlier this year.
India has won 17 medals so far at the Commonwealth Games 2026, including three gold, nine silver and five bronze. Gold medals have been earned by Mirabai Chanu (women’s 48kg weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (women’s shot put F57) and Dilip Gavit (men’s 100m T47).
Silver medals have been claimed by Rishikanta Singh, Muthupandi Raja, Gyaneshwari Yadav, Sarvesh Kushare, Valluri Ajaya Babu, Harjinder Kaur, Gulveer Singh, Murali Sreeshankar, Mohammed Basil and Lovepreet Singh. Bronze medals have been won by Jhandu Kumar, Bindyarani Devi, Shilpa K Shyla and Seema Kaliramna.
