The Virat Kohli factor in boxer Sakshi Chaudhary's golden CWG 2026 show
Newly crowned Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sakshi Chaudhary has revealed the pivotal role former India cricket captain Virat Kohli played in her journey to the top. Speaking after returning home from Glasgow, the 25-year-old boxer expressed her deep gratitude to Kohli, whose foundation backed her during a critical, formative phase of her athletic career.
Sakshi Chaudhary, who serves as a Havildar in the Indian Army and trains at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, shared that while Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh inspired her to take up boxing, it was Kohli’s timely sponsorship that kept her afloat.
“I started boxing after watching Vijender Singh, but in my journey, Virat Kohli has also supported me a lot. He has been my sponsor, so I would like to thank him too,” Chaudhary told IANS.
Sakshi also recalled how Kohli has gone beyond financial backing and offered her tips to handle pressure and stay focussed.
The Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF) has quiet, well-documented credentials in identifying and nurturing non-cricket Indian athletes across various disciplines. Providing a three-year sponsorship window when Sakshi Chaudhary was transitioning from youth success to senior ranks, the foundation funded her training and competition expenses at a time when resources were scarce.
This timely intervention allowed her to navigate severe career hurdles, including debilitating shoulder and leg injuries that sidelined her from the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Asian Games.
Sakshi had to beat ex-world champions Nikhat Zareen and Minakshi Hooda to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in the 51kg flyweight category.
In Glasgow, the former two-time youth world champion made a tactical decision to drop down from the 54kg category to the 51kg flyweight class. The gamble paid off spectacularly in Glasgow. Showing supreme footwork and tactical discipline, she stormed into the final and dominated England’s Ruby White with a unanimous 5-0 decision to seal her maiden Commonwealth Games gold.
RECORD HAUL FROM BOXERS
Sakshi Chaudhary’s gold was the cornerstone of an unprecedented campaign for the Indian boxing contingent in Glasgow. India finished atop the boxing leaderboard with a historic total of 10 medals, including a record-shattering seven gold medals.
Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, and Ankush Panghal joined Chaudhary on the top step of the podium.
With her Glasgow triumph putting past injury heartbreaks firmly in the rearview mirror, Sakshi Chaudhary now shifts her focus to the upcoming Asian Games, where she will aim to replicate her golden form on the continental stage.
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