Who are the medal contenders for India on day 9 of Commonwealth Games 2022

After a day of medal rush in wrestling, the country will eye more medals on Saturday at CWG 2022.

Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham is closing edging towards its business end. India have performed decently with historic gold medals won in Lawn Bowls and Para Powerlifting as well as in Table Tennis and weightlifting. Day 7 saw India clinch two historic medals with Sudhir (Para Powerlifting) lifting gold and Sreeshankar (long jump) clinching silver.

There was then a rush of medals on Day 8 of the Commonwealth Games 2022 with wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Deepak Punia winning gold, while fellow wrestlers Anshu Malik won silver and Mohit Grewal and Divya Kakran clinched bronze in their respective events. India will hope to add more medals to their tally on Day 9 (Saturday).

On that note, let’s look at the medal prospects on Day 9 of the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Boxing

After weightlifting, India has now a chance to go big in boxing. With several boxers in the semi-final of their respective events, India is assured of medals at Commonwealth Games 2022.

Nitu Ghanghas

Indian boxer Nitu Ghanghas will compete in the first semi-final in the Women’s over 45kg-48kg category. She will take on Canada’s Priyanka Dhillon.

Amit Panghal

Star Indian boxer Amit Panghal will go head to head against Patrick Chinyemba in Men’s over 48kg-51kg Flyweight semi-final. Amit Panghal won the silver medal at Gold Coast Games in 2018 and the Gold medal at Asian Games in 2018. He also won a gold medal in Boxing World Cup 2020. Going into the Tokyo Olympics, India had high hopes for him but he failed to take any medal. However, he will look to put everything back when he steps up on Saturday to assure a place in the finals.

Nikhat Zareen

Nikhat Zareen will contest in the semi-finals of the Women’s over 48kg-50kg(Light Flyweight category). She will fight against Savannah Alfia Stubley of England. Indian women’s boxer Nikhat Zareen sealed her medal for India by defeating Helen Jones of Wales 5-0 in the quarterfinals of the 50kg category. Now in the semi-finals, it has to be seen whether the colour of the medal gets cast in gold or in silver or bronze.

World champion Nikhat won the silver medal at the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament in Bangkok in 2019, the gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Bulgaria in the same year, and the 2022 Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Bulgaria by defeating Busa Naz Kekiroglu. After which gold is expected from him in the Commonwealth Games.

Jaismine Lamboria

Jaismine will go one on one against Gemma Paige Richardson of England in the Women’s over 57kg-60kg semi-final.

Rohit Tokas

Rohit Tokas will look to take down his opponent when he will take the ring in the Semi-final against Stephen Zimba in the 63.5kg-67kg Welterweight category.

Sagar Ahlawat

Sagar will fight his semi-final bout against Ifeanyi Onyekwere of Nigeria in the over 92kg Super Heavyweight category.

Para Table Tennis

Bhavina Hasmukbhai Patel

Para Table Tennis player Bhavina Hasmukbhai Patel will compete for the Gold medal in Women’s Singles Classes 3-5. Silver medalist in Tokyo’s Paralympics Bhavina defeated Sue Bailey in straight sets 11-6, 11-6, 11-6.

Sonalben Manubhai Patel

It would have been a historic all-India final in the women’s singles event, but it wasn’t to be as Sonalben faced defeat 1-3 against Nigeria’s Ifechukwude Christiana in the women’s singles classes 3-5 Bronze medal match. She will now face Sue Bailey.

Raj Aravindan Alagar

Raj Aravindan Alagar will fight a bronze medal match in men’s singles classes 3-5. He was defeated 3-1 in his semi-final game.

Wrestling

Men’s Freestyle

Tokyo Silver medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya will hit the headlines on Commonwealth Games Day 9 when he will compete in the men’s freestyle 57kg category. His match will be against Suraj Singh of New Zealand which will be a quarter-final.

Deepak Nehara will fight in the 97kg category while Naveen will participate in the 74kg category. All the matches will be held tomorrow and hence, medals be decided.

Women’s Freestyle

Pooja Sihag will compete in the Women’s freestyle 76kg category on Day 9, August 6. She recently won a bronze medal in the women’s 76kg category at the Asian Wrestling Championships

Women’s Hammer Throw Final

Manju Bala

Manju Bala will look to grab a medal when she will compete in the Women’s Hammer Throw Final on Day 9 of the Commonwealth Games’22. The 33-year-old Bala finished 11th in the qualification round with a best throw of 59.68m in her first attempt. Now, she will be eyeing a top-three finish.