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NEW DELHI: India has secured its first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games even before the opening ceremony, with the Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain guaranteed at least bronze in the female boxer competition.The boxer from Assam was given a direct entry into the semi-finals after being dropped in her weight category. With all of the defeated semi-finalists receiving bronze medals in boxing at the Commonwealth Games, Lovlina is now assured of a place on the podium before stepping into the ring.She will begin her campaign on July 31, when she will battle TKBP Taafaki for a place in the gold medal fight.Lovla’s assured medal gives India an early boost ahead of the official start of the Games, where the country has sent a 124-member contingent to Glasgow. Although the 2026 edition has a reduced sports programme, India will still compete in several disciplines with the hope of adding to its rich Commonwealth Games legacy.India’s campaign begins on Thursday with two home turf matches before the opening ceremony later in the day. The contingent will compete in eight able-bodied sports—athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, bocce and swimming—in addition to five pairs of events, including para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-swimming, para-track cycling and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.The athletic action will last from July 27 to August 1, with the Olympic winner Neeraj Chopra among the biggest attractions. The reigning world champion will be looking to regain the Commonwealth title he won on the Gold Coast in 2018 after missing Birmingham 2022 through injury.Weightlifting is expected to be another key source of medals for India, with an Olympic silver medalist and two-time Commonwealth Games champion To Mirabai Chan leading challenge.With Lovlina already securing the podium, India got off to a dream start to their campaign for Glasgow 2026 even before the Games officially began.
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