Sakshi Chaudhary Secures Spot for Commonwealth and Asian Games
Sakshi Chaudhary's Triumph in National Boxing Trials
File image of Indian veteran player Sakshi Chaudhary(Photo: @esportes_infos/X)
Patiala, May 15: Sakshi Chaudhary has successfully qualified for the Indian boxing team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Japan later this year. She achieved this by defeating two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the semifinals of the national boxing trials.
In the final held at NIS Patiala, Sakshi overcame Meenakshi Hooda, the reigning world and Asian champion in the 48kg category, who had moved up to 51kg. Previously, Sakshi had claimed gold in the 54 kg division at the 2025 World Boxing Cup in Astana but opted to compete in the 51 kg for these trials.
The boxer who finishes as the runner-up in the final will still have a chance to compete in the World Boxing Cup in Guiyang, China, scheduled from June 15 to 20, while the winner secures spots for both major events.
Sakshi's victory over Nikhat, a two-time World Championships winner and gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games, was a significant upset. Meanwhile, Meenakshi had previously eliminated former world champion Neetu Ghanghas.
The 51kg category will see a new representative from India, as both Nikhat and Nitu were unable to advance.
Nikhat was compelled to participate in the trials after missing out on a direct entry during the Asian Championships held last month in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She reached the semifinals but lost decisively 0-5 to Wu Yu from China, the reigning Olympic gold medalist.
Additionally, Sachin Siwach (men's 60kg), Preeti Pawar (women's 54kg), and Priya Ghanghas (women's 60kg) have also qualified for both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games by reaching the finals at the Asian Championships.
Jaismine Lamboria (women's 57kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (women's 70kg) have qualified solely for the Commonwealth Games, as their weight classes are not included in the Asian Games.
The Commonwealth Games are set to take place in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, followed by the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.