3 min readUpdated: Jul 28, 2026 11:59 PM ISTBoth Preeti (left) and Priya (right) are assured of bronze at the 2026 CWG.Preeti Pawar became the second Indian boxer at the 2026 Commonwealth Games to ensure a boxing bronze medal was coming back home with her after Lovlina Borgohain was handed byes all the way to the semifinals of her event. Pawar, India’s entrant from its most contested weight category, dispatched Northern Ireland’s Nicole Clyde to enter the semifinals and assure herself of at least a bronze medal. Later in the evening, Priya Ghanghas beat Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell 4-1 to also book a semifinal berth.The story of the bout was a punch of beauty. Operating as a southpaw, Pawar has the usual left-handed shots that most Indians possess. But she often finishes exchanges with a right uppercut of sorts. The power of the shot comes from the back, and the right hand rolls from the ground up. Opponents expecting the left from varying degrees of angles get blindsided when the right cut lands flush. The shot is exquisite not just for its craftiness, but also because of how Preeti uses it. In the first round, Preeti used it to gain points.FOLLOW LIVE | CWG 2026 Day 6She could have loaded up on the power factor and tried to hit the shot harder. But instead Preeti chose to use it to end combinations and landed it multiple times in the first. Her opponent made no adjustments to counter it, and the Northern Ireland coaching corner offered no advice or solutions as well. Soon the referee gave a standing count to Clyde, who looked at her corner and quizzed why she was reprimanded. Every judge gave the round to the boxer from Bhiwani, as was the expected result.With several traditional boxing nations absent, India’s women’s boxers have a significant opportunity to add to the medal tally. The women’s contingent in particular has the opportunity to bump up the medal count. Pawar has the chance to go deep and even fight for gold based on her performance on Tuesday.Perhaps future bouts were in mind when she slowed down for the second and third rounds. The volume of that right uppercut reduced, but Preeti’s offense still found its mark when used. Clyde landed her shots too, but the volume of clean hits was visibly higher on the Indian’s count, and the judges gave her a unanimous decision in the end. Pawar adds a definite bronze medal to the bronze she won at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.Right after Preeti’s bout, Priya Ghanghas ensured another medal for India, beating home favourite Niamh Mitchell 4-1 after losing the opening round before roaring back with sustained pressure and heavier punches to seal her semifinal place.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement