India’s Day 3 at the Commonwealth Games 2026 delivered a blend of progress and setbacks on Saturday, highlighted by boxer Sachin Siwach advancing to the men’s 60kg pre-quarterfinals and the lawn bowls women’s pair of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh extending their unbeaten run. While Siwach came through a stern first-round test, Tirkey and Singh stayed firmly in the hunt for a semifinal spot with a third straight win in sectional play.
The day’s results also included a defeat for Putul Sonowal in men’s singles lawn bowls, a disappointing outcome for India’s swimmers in the 400m freestyle heats, and a heavy loss for India against Wales in wheelchair women’s basketball.
Boxing and lawn bowls provide India’s key positives
Siwach, described as a medal prospect, got past familiar opponent Keoma Al-Ahmadieh of Canada in the round of 32. The Indian won the men’s first-round bout 4-1 in a split verdict at the SEC Centre to move into the pre-quarterfinal stage of the men’s 60kg class.
He will next face England’s William Hewitt in the round of 16. Reflecting on the contest, Siwach said it was a tough bout but added that having beaten Al-Ahmadieh twice before gave him confidence, and that the Commonwealth Games setting made the win especially important.
In lawn bowls, Tirkey and Singh continued their strong start in women’s pairs, registering their third win on the trot. The Indian duo prevailed over Tonga 2-0 in a tie-breaker in their women’s pairs third-round match in Section B, keeping their momentum intact as they chase a place in the semifinals.
Their next assignment is a fourth-round match in Section B against Namibia on Sunday. After three games, both India and England have three wins in Section B, though England are ahead on set count, underlining how tight the battle remains in the sectional standings.
In men’s singles, Sonowal suffered his first defeat after two earlier victories. He lost his third-round match 0-2 (4-8, 8-9) to Malaysia’s Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple. Sonowal trailed 5-9 in the second set but mounted a recovery in ‘End 7’, only to fall short by the narrowest of margins.
Sonowal, a 43-year-old Assam Police officer, had made headlines earlier in the competition by defeating reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada in the opening round. He then survived a tie-break in the second round against Falkland Islands’ Cecil Alexander. Following Saturday’s result, he sits second in the Section D standings and will face Malta’s Shaun James Parnis on Sunday.
Mixed outcomes elsewhere as India looks ahead to weightlifting
India’s swimmers endured a difficult session in the pool, with both Dhakshan Shashikumar and Aryan Nehra missing out on a place in the final of the 400m freestyle. Shashikumar clocked 3:58.09s and Nehra 4:00.26s, finishing 15th and 16th respectively among the 27 swimmers in the heats at the Tollcross Swimming Centre.
In wheelchair women’s basketball, India were beaten 1-16 by Wales in their Group B match. The report noted India struggled to match Wales’ intensity and scoring efficiency, falling behind early and failing to close the gap. Wales controlled the game throughout, with India converting just one of their 12 scoring attempts.
India’s medal account at the Games was opened on Friday when Jhandu Kumar won bronze in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting competition, and attention now turns to Sunday’s start of the weightlifting programme. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is expected to compete as India aims to extend its strong record in the sport at the Commonwealth Games.
However, the build-up has been affected by doping issues, with India’s weightlifting contingent reduced from 16 to 11 after multiple violations. Dilbag Singh (96kg) was withdrawn earlier in the week, further cutting the squad. Even so, India will look to make the most of its traditional strength in the discipline as competition begins.
