Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and emerging star Sakshi Chaudhary booked their places for the 2026 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games after impressive performances at the national boxing selection trials in Patiala.
Lovlina, competing in the women’s 75kg division, delivered a commanding performance to defeat Sanamacha Chanu 5-0 and secure qualification for both major multi-sport events. The victory carried extra significance after the former world champion narrowly missed automatic qualification at the Asian Boxing Championships in Ulaanbaatar earlier this year.
For Lovlina, the result was more than just qualification — it was a statement of resilience. Since winning Olympic bronze in Tokyo, she has remained one of the faces of Indian boxing while navigating injuries, weight-category adjustments, and rising competition within the national setup.
However, the biggest talking point of the trials was undoubtedly Sakshi Chaudhary’s sensational run in the women’s 51kg category. The Haryana boxer stunned two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the semifinals before defeating reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda 5-0 in the final.
Her victories are being viewed as one of the biggest shake-ups in Indian women’s boxing in recent years.
Sakshi’s journey makes the achievement even more remarkable. After missing selection opportunities in previous events and struggling for recognition in a crowded weight category, she entered the trials under enormous pressure. Reports from Patiala suggest she adopted a fearless “do-or-die” mindset that transformed her performances throughout the competition.
The trials also highlighted the brutal competitiveness now present within Indian boxing. Several world champions, Asian medallists, and Commonwealth winners were forced into direct elimination battles simply to secure national selection.
That growing depth is both a challenge and a positive sign for Indian boxing ahead of the next Olympic cycle. Internal competition is becoming stronger, raising performance standards across categories.
Apart from Lovlina and Sakshi, boxers such as Jadumani Singh, Sachin Siwach, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, and Narender Berwal also secured qualification spots through the trials and previous continental performances.
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held in Glasgow, while the Asian Games are scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan later in the year. Indian boxing officials believe these events will play a crucial role in shaping preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
For now, though, the spotlight firmly belongs to Lovlina’s consistency and Sakshi’s fearless breakthrough — two stories that perfectly capture the evolving landscape of Indian boxing.
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