Armed with hard work and resilience, Sachin Siwach followed the advice of his roommate-cum-mentor Amit Panghal to overcome five years of struggle, win Commonwealth Games gold, and finally make his mark at the elite level.

Sachin, who matched his fellow villager and namesake to become the second World Youth champion from Mitathal village in Haryana in 2021, battled injuries, questionable verdicts, and hard luck as he failed to make an impact at big events like the Asian Games, World Championships, and Olympic qualifiers. Meanwhile, he medalled at the Asian Championships and in World Boxing Cup stages.

Now, the CWG gold has boosted his self-belief. “Sometimes it was my mistake, sometimes not. The setbacks made me stronger. The CWG title has motivated me. I reached the top of the ladder. It’ll be easier from here on,” Sachin, the men’s 60kg champion in Glasgow, told The Hindu.

Sachin beat a range of opponents — from Canada, England, Botswana, Wales, and Namibia. He started with a win over Canada’s CWG bronze medallist Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmedieh and ended with a spectacular come-from-behind victory in the final against the big and tricky Namibian Tryagain Morning Ndevelo.

“Mine was the toughest draw. Since I had beaten the Canadian earlier, I was confident. In the final, it came down to the last round. I was determined to win gold,” he said.

Sachin wants to make amends for his quarterfinal finish, and missing out on a medal, at the last Asian Games. “It was just luck. This Asiad will be different in terms of competition. I’m confident. I’ll work on my mistakes.”

Sachin credits much of his growth to Panghal. “He was my roommate and training partner (2023-2025). I learned a lot from him — how to rectify mistakes, about diet and rest. He told me about my weak points and strengths, how to block punches and how to move my legs. Amit bhai was World No.1 and has won big medals. I learned everything from him.”

Indian men’s team head coach C.A. Kuttappa wants to see certain improvements in Sachin. “He shouldn’t bend too much. He was penalised for this in the final. Also, he should learn to adapt and box from different ranges as per the situation,” said Kuttappa.

For now, Sachin is celebrating with his family before shifting his focus to Asiad preparation.

Indian pugilists Sachin Siwach and Preeti Pawar have their eyes set on Asian Games gold following their gold medal wins at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.

The Indian boxing contingent, which pulled off the country’s best CWG 2026 medal haul with seven gold medals and overall 10 medals, received a warm welcome at the Delhi Airport.

Speaking to ANI, Sachin, who secured a gold medal in the men’s 60 kg final, said that seeing the national flag hoisted after the gold medal win is a “different kind of happiness” and a reason why they all play sport.

“When the national flag is hoisted, there is a different kind of happiness. This is what we play for. I want to bring gold from the Asian Games. I want to tell everyone to keep believing like this and keep encouraging us,” said Siwach.

Sachin staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Namibia’s Tryagain Morning Ndevelo by a 3-2 split decision in a thrilling men’s 60 kg final.

Also, Preeti has her eyes set on not only the Asian Games this year in Japan taking place from September 19 onwards, but also the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, saying, “Thank you very much to everyone who came here to receive us. Our next target is the Asian Games and the LA 2028 Olympics. We cannot express our happiness on hearing the National Anthem play there. It is something that you can only feel.”

The 2022 Asian Games bronze medalist Preeti secured the women’s 54kg gold medal at the CWG 2026 after defeating Canada’s Scarlett Delgado by unanimous decision in the final on Saturday.

The 2026 Games were hosted under a compact format, leading to the removal of major Indian medal-earning events like shooting, hockey, wrestling, and badminton.

India finished fourth in the medals table at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.

India officially began its journey towards hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Amdavad as the Commonwealth Games Flag was ceremonially handed over during a spectacular Closing Ceremony that celebrated the conclusion of Glasgow 2026 and looked ahead to the historic centenary edition of the Games.