Lovlina Borgohain confirms India’s first medal in Commonwealth Games 2026 even before opening ceremony
India opened their account at the 2026 Commonwealth Games before the opening ceremony. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain became the country’s first confirmed medallist after securing a direct place in the women’s 75kg semifinals.
The Olympic medallist from Assam received a bye into the last four of her category, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze medal. Under Commonwealth Games boxing rules, all losing semifinalists finish with bronze medals, ensuring Lovlina a podium finish before her first bout in Glasgow.
Notably, Lovlina will begin her campaign on July 31, when she faces T.K.B.P. Taafaki for a place in the gold medal match. A victory would send the Indian boxer into the final, while defeat would still leave her with the bronze already assured.
How did Lovlina confirm at least Bronze without a match?
Competing in the women’s 75kg middleweight boxing division, the top-seeded boxer received a direct bye into the semifinals due to a compact five-athlete draw. With only five competitors in the women’s 75kg category, three boxers, including top-seeded Borgohain, received direct byes into the semifinals, while the remaining two face off in a single quarterfinal bout.
Early boost for India
The early medal provides an immediate boost for the Indian contingent, which has travelled to Glasgow with 126 athletes for the 2026 edition. Although the Games have been reduced in scale compared to previous editions, India remains in contention across multiple disciplines as it looks to extend its record of success at the Commonwealth Games.
India’s competition schedule begins on Thursday with two lawn bowls matches before the opening ceremony later in the day. The contingent will compete in eight sports for able-bodied athletes, which are athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, bowls and swimming. Indian athletes will also participate in five para disciplines: para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-swimming, para-track cycling and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.
Athletics begins on July 27
Athletics competition is scheduled from July 27 to August 1 and will feature one of India’s biggest medal hopes in Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. The reigning world champion returns to the Commonwealth Games aiming to regain the title he won at Gold Coast in 2018 after injury ruled him out of the Birmingham edition four years later.
Weightlifting is expected to provide another major opportunity for India, with Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu leading the country’s challenge. The two-time Commonwealth Games champion is among the most experienced members of the Indian squad as the nation targets further podium finishes during the six-day competition.
