Glasgow: The first medal for India in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026 was assured after boxer Lovlina Borgohain got a direct entry into the semifinals.
After a bye in the quarterfinal, Lovlina will face TKBP Taafaki of Tuvalu in the Women’s 75 kg semifinal bout on July 31.
A bronze medal is certain for Lovlina without entering the ring as only five boxers are in fray in her category. Three boxers, including Lovlina, were placed directly in the last four, while the other two boxers will fight for the last semifinal berth.
Having returned empty-handed from the two previous editions of CWG, Lovlina will be eager to strike gold this time.
A 126-strong Indian contingent will be competing in eight sports for able-bodied athletes — athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, bowls and swimming — and five para disciplines namely para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-swimming, para-track cycling and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.
India bagged 61 medals in the 2022 Birmingham Games, including 22 gold.
But the tally is likely to come down at CWG 2026 as a number of disciplines were removed from the event as Glasgow stepped in after original hosts Australia pulled out.
As a result, the Glasgow Games won’t feature badminton, cricket, hockey, squash, table tennis, triathlon, wrestling, beach volleyball and rugby sevens. Half India’s Birmingham Games medals came in these sports.