Sakshi Chaudhary’s move to 51kg pays off with Commonwealth Games crown

In Kolkata on August 05, 2026, Sakshi Chaudhary’s decision to drop from 54kg to 51kg paid off as she emerged as the newly-crowned Commonwealth Games champion, delivering her first major impact at a multi-sport event.

The change of weight class followed consultations with coach Chhote Lal Yadav at the Army Sports Institute in Pune and came after the National championships in January, when boxers were permitted to alter categories. A former World junior champion, two-time World youth champion, Asian championships bronze medallist and World Boxing Cup gold medallist, Sakshi had earned most of her international honours at 54kg but had not previously made a mark at a multi-sport meet.

Chhote Lal outlined the reasoning behind the switch and the need for discretion around it: “Since (another Army boxer) Preeti (Pawar) was doing well in 54kg, it made sense for Sakshi to come down to 51kg. She was capable of beating everyone. Once we made the make-or-break decision, I asked her to keep quiet as it could have backfired,” Chhote Lal told The Hindu, as his ward stayed busy attending felicitation functions.

The move carried clear risk because the 51kg division contained several established names; the article names double World champion Nikhat Zareen and reigning world champion Meenakshi Hooda among the accomplished opponents in that weight class.

Discussing Sakshi’s attributes, Chhote Lal said: “Only a few boxers have qualities like Sakshi. She is aggressive, has good endurance and has a superb left jab, which she used effectively in Glasgow. Even during her training at the ASI, she used to beat male boxers because of the jab."

Former India women’s team head coach Bhaskar Bhatt, who coached Sakshi to her maiden World youth gold in Guwahati in 2017, commended her work ethic and offered technical advice: “Sakshi didn’t stop for a moment during her bouts at the Commonwealth Games and didn’t give her opponents any chance. It shows how much work she has put in to increase her endurance and strengthen her legs. “She should work on two areas to become even more effective. She needs to connect her punches with the full knuckle to unleash maximum power and stop using her elbow to stay away from trouble,” said Bhatt.

Her coach signalled expectations for upcoming events, saying, "I am sure she will medal at the Asian Games as well."