Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sakshi Chaudhary made a winning start to her Asian Games campaign by beating Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aira Villegas of the Philippines in the preliminary round on Tuesday.Sakshi won the bout 5-0 by unanimous decision at the Nishio Gymnasium and booked her place in the pre-quarterfinals.The Indian boxer won all three rounds unanimously, with all five judges giving her a 10-9 score in each round. Sakshi looked in control throughout and her accurate punches troubled Villegas.
Tough challenge awaits Sakshi
Sakshi will now face a much tougher test in the pre-quarterfinals.The Commonwealth Games gold medallist will take on current 51kg world champion Alua Balkibekova on Thursday.The Indian boxer has already beaten some of the leading names in the sport.She defeated two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda during the selection trials for the Commonwealth Games 2026.After moving down from 54kg, Sakshi beat Nikhat in the semifinal of the trials before defeating 48kg champion Hooda in the final to earn her place at the Commonwealth Games.
Sakshi follows CWG gold with Asian Games win
Sakshi went on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games 2026. She defeated England’s Ruby White 5-0 in the final.After her successful Commonwealth Games campaign, Sakshi turned her attention towards the Asian Games.“Winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games is a dream come true moment for me. And now my complete focus is on the Asian Games. These are the platforms that I have always aimed at, and I want to give the best of my abilities,” Sakshi had said.
‘I play for my country’
Sakshi has also spoken about the motivation she gets from representing India.The boxer said playing for her country gives her the strength to keep improving with every bout.“I play for my country. This constant thought pumps me up and gives me the strength and courage to do better than the last match I played,” she added.
Sakshi keen to learn from CWG experience
Sakshi had also said she would immediately start preparing for the Asian Games after her Commonwealth Games campaign.She wanted to use the lessons from the CWG to improve her performance in Japan.“I will begin my training for the Asian Games now. I have learnt a lot from my Commonwealth matches, and I will always cherish this experience,” she had added before the Asiad.Sakshi will now look to carry her strong form into Thursday’s pre-quarterfinal against Balkibekova.
Leave a Reply