Commonwealth Games Day 5: India’s Top Highlights You Missed

India’s mixed 4x400m relay team secured a spot in the final earlier in the day, adding to the day’s list of strong Indian performances.

Historic Judo Golds

Indian judokas made history on Friday, winning two gold medals at the Scottish Event Campus. Asmita Dey became the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games judo gold, beating Canada’s Heidi Quach 2-1 in the women’s 48kg final. She dedicated the win to her father, who passed away in 2015, and credited Uttar Pradesh Police for supporting her family after his death, as well as her coach Yashpal Solanki for training her at the National Centre of Excellence in Bhopal. Harsh Singh also claimed gold in his weight class, making it a historic double for Indian judo.

Boxing Dominance

India’s boxing contingent is on fire, with a record 10 medals already guaranteed. Ten Indian boxers (four men, six women) have advanced to the semi-finals, and coaches are optimistic the team can surpass its 2022 Birmingham Games medal haul. Preeti Pawar started the medal rush with a 5-0 win over Zambia’s Catherine Mwape in the women’s 54kg semi-finals. Jadumani Singh also advanced with a 5-0 victory over Namibia’s Philip Pumulo Haoseb in the 55kg category. Ankush Panghal followed with a masterclass 5-0 win over Canada’s Joshua Ofori in the men’s 80kg bout, using precise left-right combinations to dominate the hard-punching opponent. Jaismine Lamboria, the reigning world champion, was too strong for Lesotho’s Rapelang Maselela in the women’s 57kg class, with the referee stopping the fight in the second round. Sakshi Chaudhary also secured at least a silver in the women’s 51kg category after beating Canada’s Amber-Jane Wall 5-0.

Weightlifting Near-Miss

Lovepreet Singh came agonizingly close to a gold medal in the men’s +110kg super heavyweight weightlifting event. The 29-year-old, a bronze medallist from the 2022 Birmingham Games, held a 10kg lead after the snatch. But a costly miss in the clean and jerk cost him the top spot, as he finished with a total of 388kg, just 1kg behind New Zealand’s two-time Olympian David Liti. Lovepreet called the miss “costly” in post-event interviews, noting he should have closed out the lift. The Amritsar-born athlete, whose father worked as a tailor, has come a long way from a difficult upbringing to reach the top of international weightlifting.

Hockey Jersey Controversy

A new saffron-colored jersey for India’s hockey teams has sparked backlash from fans and former players, with Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey clarifying the change is not permanent. Tirkey stated he was not consulted before the jerseys were released, and has asked Hockey India officials for written clarification on the approval process. A Hockey India official defended the decision, noting jersey changes in November/December 2022 followed the same process without executive board approval. That process included feedback from national coaching staff, player leadership groups, technical reviews of visibility and contrast, design work with the kit partner, and internal clearance from high-performance and kit management teams. The official confirmed no executive board sign-off was required for past changes either. Tirkey said any future changes, including reverting to the old design, will require unanimous executive board and team approval, and a final decision will be made after the upcoming World Cup.

Table Tennis Progress

Indian table tennis players had a strong day at the Thyagaraj Stadium, with most top seeds advancing to the pre-quarterfinals. Third seed Yashaswini Ghorpade survived a tough challenge from 15-year-old Singaporean Chong Sian Zi, winning 4-1 in a match filled with extended rallies. The young Singaporean matched Yashaswini’s long-pimpled backhand shots for most of the contest, before the Indian pulled away with a series of forehand winners in the third game. Other Indian winners on the day included Sayali Wani, Payas Jain, and Ronit Bhanja, who beat Singapore’s Ellsworth Le 4-1. H. Jeho also advanced by defeating compatriot Mudit Dani in an all-Indian matchup.

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