Glasgow, July 25: Indian boxer Sachin Siwach booked his place in the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s 60kg boxing event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after registering a hard-fought victory over Canada’s Keoma Al-Ahmadieh at the Scottish Event Campus on Saturday.
The 26-year-old former Commonwealth Youth Games champion emerged victorious by a 4-1 split decision after an intense three-round contest to set up a last-16 clash against England’s Will Hewitt on Monday.
The opening round witnessed an evenly fought battle as both southpaw boxers traded punches in the middle of the ring. Sachin displayed better precision and timing, landing the cleaner blows to edge the round, with three of the five judges scoring it 10-9 in favour of the Indian.
Al-Ahmadieh, a bronze medallist in the 57kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, came back strongly in the second round, increasing the tempo and looking to seize control of the contest. However, Sachin maintained his composure, relying on sharp counter-attacks and effective defensive movement to frustrate his opponent. His tactical display impressed all five judges, who unanimously awarded him the round.
With the bout slipping away, the Canadian boxer launched an all-out attack in the final round in an attempt to overturn the deficit. Holding a comfortable advantage on the scorecards, Sachin adopted a disciplined approach, controlling the pace and avoiding unnecessary exchanges while continuing to score with timely counters.Although Al-Ahmadieh claimed the final round on three of the five judges’ scorecards, Sachin’s superiority in the opening two rounds proved enough to seal a 4-1 split-decision victory and secure his passage to the next stage.The Indian will now face a stern challenge against England’s Will Hewitt in the pre-quarterfinals. Hewitt arrives with strong credentials, having stunned Paris Olympic silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu at last year’s World Boxing Championships in Liverpool.Sachin became the second Indian boxer to advance at the Glasgow Games after Jadumani Singh Mandengbam eased into the next round of the men’s 55kg category with a convincing victory in the round of 32 on Friday.
India have fielded a 14-member boxing contingent at the Commonwealth Games, comprising seven male and seven female boxers competing across various weight divisions. (Agencies)
