Arabic version: ملاكمون إنجليز يعادلون الرقم القياسي لنهائيات ألعاب الكومنولث
According to BBC News, England have matched their best-ever Commonwealth Games boxing performance after seven fighters reached Saturday’s finals in Glasgow. England had already equalled their best medal tally, first set in Edinburgh in 1986, when 10 boxers reached Friday’s semi-finals and secured at least bronze medals. Seven subsequently won their last-four bouts, matching England’s record number of boxing finalists, achieved in 1986 and again at Gold Coast in 2018.
Ruby White was England’s standout semi-final winner. The 19-year-old Dorset fighter, known as the “Pocket Rocket”, claimed the 68th consecutive victory of her senior career and reached her first Commonwealth final by stopping fellow teenager Mischa Araes inside two rounds. White knocked Araes down at the end of the first round before forcing two standing counts in the second. She will face India’s Sakshi Chaudhary in the women’s 51kg final at 16:30 BST on Saturday.
Chantelle Reid and Sacha Hickey also made the women’s finals. Reid beat Australia’s world number two Lekeisha Pergoliti in the 70kg semi-finals, while Hickey defeated Australia’s Eve Bryson 5-0 in the 65kg category and will meet Northern Ireland’s Kaci Rock. In the men’s events, Isaac Okoh, Patris Mughalzai and Dimeji Shittu won through, while Damar Thomas reached the final by walkover.
Okoh beat Scotland’s Robert McNulty in the heavyweight division, winning all three rounds before receiving a unanimous decision. Mughalzai overcame Zambia’s Emmanuel Katema 4-1 and will face Australia’s Jacob Cassar for gold in the men’s 65kg final. Shittu beat Australia’s Paul Trainor 5-0 to set up a bout with India’s Ankush Panghai. England would need to win all seven finals to surpass their record of six boxing gold medals at one Commonwealth Games, set in Australia eight years ago. The finals are scheduled from 11:00 to 19:30 BST on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Tuvalu’s Tarona Taafaki secured her country’s first Commonwealth Games medal. With only five entrants in the women’s 75kg division, Taafaki received a bye to the semi-finals and was guaranteed bronze despite losing her only bout to India’s Lovlina Borgohain.
