0-5 down, gold at the end: How India boxer turned the tide to win CWG title

India's Ankush Panghal produced one of the biggest comebacks of the Commonwealth Games 2026 boxing competition, recovering from a 5-0 deficit after the opening round to defeat England's Dimeji Shittu and win the men's 80kg gold medal on Saturday. The 22-year-old from Haryana stayed calm after a tough start and fought back brilliantly to register a 4-1 split-decision victory. His gold helped India finish with its best-ever boxing campaign at the Commonwealth Games. After the win, Panghal admitted he felt the pressure after losing the first round but never stopped believing. "It feels great to have won the gold medal. But during the bout, my morale took a bit of a hit. I was down 5-0 in the first round, so I felt some pressure... but I managed to win the bout somehow. I also want to thank those who came to support me. This medal is for them... I'm dedicating the medal to my entire family and the whole of India," Panghal said after winning the gold medal. How Panghal completed the comeback Shittu made the stronger start and dominated the opening round with aggressive attacks. Panghal, however, slowly found his rhythm with smart movement, sharp backhand punches and disciplined defence. The momentum completely changed in the later stages as the Indian boxer controlled the contest. Shittu was also handed a point deduction, and Panghal finished the bout as the stronger boxer to earn the judges' decision despite the home crowd backing the Englishman. The Army boxer remained composed throughout and became India's seventh boxing gold medallist of the Games. Perfect campaign in Glasgow Panghal enjoyed an outstanding tournament from start to finish. Before the final, he recorded unanimous victories over Zalaan Jan (Antigua and Barbuda), Jade Micock (Seychelles) and Joshua Ofori (Canada). He then capped off his unbeaten run with his memorable comeback victory over Shittu in the gold medal bout. India records its best-ever boxing campaign India produced its finest-ever boxing performance at the Commonwealth Games, winning seven gold medals and three silver medals. The women's team led the charge with five gold medals. Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) all won their finals. Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) settled for silver. In the men's events, Sachin Siwach (60kg) joined Panghal as a gold medallist, while Jadumani Singh (55kg) and Narender Berwal (+90kg) won silver. India's previous best boxing performance at the Commonwealth Games came at Gold Coast 2018, where the country won seven medals, including three gold.