Rajnath Singh Honours Defence Forces’ Glasgow Medal Heroes

Boxing produced some of the strongest results for the Indian Army, whose pugilists collected six gold and two silver medals as India finished the competition with seven boxing golds and three silvers.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has praised Indian Defence Forces athletes for their remarkable performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where service personnel contributed 18 of India's 39 medals and produced several historic results across athletics, boxing, judo, weightlifting and para sport.

Singh met members of the Indian Army contingent at Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi on August 14, describing their achievements as "extraordinary" and praising the determination required to handle the physical and mental pressure of competing at an international sporting event. The Indian Army finished with 16 medals, including eight gold, seven silver and one bronze, while Indian Navy personnel secured another two silver medals. India's overall Glasgow campaign produced 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze medals.

Soldiers and athletes rewrite sporting records

Several members of the Army contingent delivered performances that created new Commonwealth Games milestones for India, giving the Glasgow campaign significance beyond its final medal count. Naib Subedar Sarvesh Kushare secured India's first Commonwealth Games silver medal in the high jump, while Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh became the first Indian athlete to win two athletics medals at a single edition of the Games after taking silver in the 10,000 metres and bronze in the 5,000 metres.

Havildar Harsh Singh gave India its first Commonwealth Games judo gold in the 60kg category, while Subedar Soman Rana and Lance Naik Shubham Juyal claimed India's first gold and silver medals respectively in para shot put at the Games. Weightlifter Havildar Ajaya Babu also delivered a record-breaking performance in the 79kg category, setting a Games record with a 149kg snatch and completing the competition with a total lift of 330kg to secure silver.

Army boxers power India to historic gold haul

Boxing produced some of the strongest results for the Indian Army, whose pugilists collected six gold and two silver medals as India finished the competition with seven boxing golds and three silvers. The seven gold medals represented the highest number won by a country in boxing at a single Commonwealth Games, breaking a century-old English record, according to the Defence Ministry.

Women boxers played a major role in that success, with Sakshi, Preeti, Jasmine and Arundhati Chaudhary securing four of India's six Army boxing gold medals. Singh said their performances reflected the growing strength of India's "Nari Shakti" and could encourage more girls to take up sport and consider careers in the defence forces. Sachin Sewach and Ankush completed the Army's boxing gold-medal group, while Jadumani Singh and Narinder earned silver medals in their respective weight divisions.

Focus turns to Asian Games and Olympics

Singh described the athletes as a "perfect blend of a soldier and a champion", saying their ability to balance military responsibilities with elite sport made them an inspiration, particularly for young Indians. The Defence Minister also noted that successful athletes are increasingly emerging from different parts of the country, reflecting wider access to competitive sport rather than opportunities being concentrated among a small section of society. He credited years of disciplined training, coaching, sports science support and the work of athletes, coaches, support staff and the Mission Olympic Wing for helping produce the Glasgow results.

Singh wished the athletes well for future competitions, including the Asian Games and Olympic Games, as India's defence sportspersons turn their attention towards the next major international challenges. Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth and senior Indian Army officials attended the interaction in New Delhi.