Sakshi produced a strong campaign and reached the final, where she faced England’s Ruby White and picked up an unanimous 5-0 decision to claim the gold medal
Published: August 8, 2026, 5:48 PM IST
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Sakshi Chaudhary (L) after winning gold at the 2026 Commonwealth GamesVirat Kohli (R) plays a shot against England in a 3-match ODI series(Credits: IANS)
Sakshi Chaudhary’s gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games was the result of years of hard work, setbacks and a major change in her boxing career but there’s moreThe Indian boxer has also revealed that former India captain Virat Kohli played an important role in her journey.
Sakshi, who won gold in the women’s 51kg flyweight category in Glasgow, thanked Kohli for supporting her through the Virat Kohli FoundationThe Haryana boxer said Kohli was her sponsor during an important stage of her career and helped her stay focused on her goal.
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“I started boxing after watching Vijender Singh, but in my journey, Virat Kohli has also supported me a lotHe has been my sponsorSo I would like to thank him too,” Sakshi told IANS.
Kohli’s support, however, was not limited to financial backingAccording to Sakshi, the former India captain also gave her simple advice about handling pressure and staying calm before competitions.
She said Kohli encouraged her not to take too much pressure and instead focus on her performance inside the ringThat advice proved useful as Sakshi went through a difficult period before reaching the Commonwealth Games.
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The boxer had missed the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Asian Games because of injuriesShe then decided to move down from the 54kg category to 51kgIt was a major decision, but one that eventually worked in her favour.
In Glasgow, Sakshi produced a strong campaign and reached the final, where she faced England’s Ruby WhiteShe dominated the bout and won by a unanimous 5-0 decision to claim the gold medal.
The victory also completed a remarkable comeback for the Indian boxerIt was the biggest medal of her career and came as part of India’s best-ever boxing performance at a Commonwealth Games.
India won 10 boxing medals in Glasgow, including a record seven goldsAlong with Sakshi, Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal also finished with gold medals.
Lovlina Borgohain, Jadumani Singh and Narender Berwal added three silver medals to India’s tally.
No country had previously won more than seven boxing gold medals at a single Commonwealth Games edition, making India’s performance historic.
For Sakshi, the gold medal was not only about the result in GlasgowIt was also proof that she could come back after injuries and make the difficult move to a new weight categoryShe will now be hoping to find similar success at the upcoming Asian Games later this month.
