Ankush Panghal Vs Dimeji Shittu Highlights, Commonwealth Games 2026: Ankush Stages Stunning Comeback To Win Gold

Welcome back to our live blog coverage of the Commonwealth Games 2026 boxing action. We bring you live updates from the men’s 80kg final clash between India’s Ankush Panghal and England's Dimeji Shittu. Stay tuned for all the action from the bout.

England's Dimeji Shittu made an impressive start to the men's 80kg gold-medal bout, using his significant reach advantage to keep Ankush Panghal at bay. A powerful punch from Shittu forced a standing count on the Indian, although Ankush quickly recovered and resumed the contest. The closing moments were relatively quiet, with neither boxer taking unnecessary risks, but Shittu's early dominance had already made the difference. All five judges awarded the opening round to the English boxer, giving him a commanding 5-0 lead and leaving Ankush with an uphill task in the remaining rounds.

Ankush Panghal came out with far greater urgency, knowing he needed to claw his way back into the contest after a difficult opening round. The Indian threw more punches and looked intent on closing the distance, but many of his attacks failed to land cleanly. Dimeji Shittu remained composed, using his reach advantage to pick his moments and connect with the more effective scoring blows. Ankush did finish the round strongly with a crisp punch in the closing minute, and it proved enough to edge the round 3-2. However, Shittu still holds the overall advantage on three of the five judges' scorecards, setting up a must-win final round for the Indian boxer.

What a sensational comeback from Ankush Panghal! After losing the opening round, the Indian boxer completely turned the contest around with a superb final-round display. Dimeji Shittu came out aggressively, but Ankush slipped several attacks, found his rhythm, and repeatedly punished the Englishman with crisp back-hand counters. The momentum swung decisively in the Indian's favour, and Shittu's task became even tougher after a point deduction, drawing loud boos from the home crowd. Although Shittu had dominated the early exchanges, Ankush finished as the stronger boxer when it mattered most. The judges awarded Ankush a 4-1 split-decision victory, sparking jubilant celebrations among the Indian supporters as he delivered India's seventh boxing gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026.