India’s world champion boxer Jaismine Lamboria has set her sights on winning the women’s 57kg gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games after claiming bronze at the Birmingham 2022 edition. The Indian Army athlete enters the competition as one of India’s strongest medal contenders following an impressive 2025 season.
The 24-year-old boxer said she draws inspiration from former India cricket captain MS Dhoni, whose calm approach under pressure has influenced her mindset ahead of the tournament. Lamboria said maintaining composure is a key part of her preparation as she aims to upgrade her previous Commonwealth bronze to gold.
Lamboria enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 campaign, winning World Cup gold medals in Astana and Delhi before capturing the women’s 57kg world title in Liverpool. Her success came after returning to the 57kg division following nearly three years competing at 60kg. The switch proved successful as she defeated Poland’s Julia Atena Szeremeta, the Paris Olympic silver medallist, to claim the world championship.
Although her Olympic debut at Paris 2024 ended with a first-round defeat to Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines, Lamboria described the setback as an important learning experience. She credited the Army Sports Institute in Pune for helping improve both her physical conditioning and mental strength through dedicated coaching and sports psychology support.
After winning bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, Lamboria became the first female boxer inducted into the Indian Army, joining the Corps of Military Police under its Mission Olympics Wing. She said the opportunity carries responsibility and hopes her journey encourages more young women to pursue boxing and military sports careers.
Born in Bhiwani, Haryana, a city widely regarded as one of India’s boxing hubs, Lamboria comes from a family with a rich boxing tradition. Her great-grandfather, Hawa Singh, was a two-time Asian Games heavyweight champion and one of the founders of the famous Bhiwani Boxing Club. She began formal boxing training at around 14 years of age under the guidance of family members before progressing to national and international success.
Lamboria has also acknowledged the influence of Indian boxing stars Mary Kom, Vijender Singh, Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani, along with Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, swimmer Michael Phelps and legendary sprinter Milkha Singh.
With the Commonwealth Games boxing finals scheduled for 31 July and 1 August in Glasgow, Lamboria will be aiming to add a Commonwealth gold medal to her growing list of international achievements and continue inspiring the next generation of Indian women boxers.
