Ruby White of England suffered a unanimous decision loss to India's Sakshi Chaudhary in the women's 51kg boxing final at the Commonwealth Games, ending her impressive 68-fight winning streak. Chaudhary dominated the match, winning 5-0 on the judges' scorecards. White, 19, had to settle for the silver medal in a contest that pitted youth against experience.
England's Chantelle Reid also took home the silver medal in the women's 70kg final, losing to India's Arundhati Choudhary via unanimous decision. Dimeji Shittu endured a tough defeat, losing 4-1 to India's Ankush Panghal, with two costly points deducted. Sacha Hickey secured her first major senior medal with a 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Northern Ireland's Kaci Rock. Patris Mughalzai won the men's equivalent, defeating Australian Jacob Cassar.
Isaac Okoh and Damar Thomas also claimed gold medals for England, with Okoh defeating Welshman Connor Williams in the 90kg event and Thomas winning the super-heavyweight category via unanimous decision against India's Narender Berwal. Thomas had beaten the grandson of former Ugandan President Idi Amin en route to the final. "I'm happy I got the job done. I've known my opponent from tournaments around the world, so I have respect for him," Thomas said.
"I followed the instructions, and once I did, I didn't think there was any trouble. The whole England team has been great, and we all get the job done." Jon McConnell, who chose to pursue gold at the Commonwealth Games over appearing on Love Island, won the men's 60kg boxing category. The 23-year-old from Holy Trinity club in Belfast defeated Orlando Holley-Sotomi of Wales and expressed his commitment to pursuing a dream of reaching the 2028 Olympics.
"If I hadn't made it through the early rounds, maybe I'd have thought I didn't make the right decision, but I've got the gold medal now," McConnell said. "He put me under a lot of pressure, but I have a lot of belief in myself. Everybody thinks I'm just a pretty boxer, but I'm a hard man to beat, and I showed it today."