3 weeks ago
Indian Boxers Win Commonwealth Gold While Cricket Dominates Sports Money
Some boxers from India won gold medals at a big sports event called the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Three of the winners were Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar and Sachin Siwach.
India won more boxing medals at these Games than ever before.
But the story is not only about winning fights.
Most of the money spent on sports in India goes to cricket.
Boxing and other sports get only a tiny share of the money.
When Indian boxers win, they mostly get cash prizes from the government.
The state of Haryana gives gold winners a very big cash prize and sometimes a government job.
Some of the boxers are also soldiers in the Indian Army, which gives them a salary and a place to live.
The question is whether these boxers will get the same chances to earn money as famous cricketers.
Indian boxers Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar and Sachin Siwach won gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where India claimed a record 10 boxing medals including 7 golds.
Sakshi Chaudhary beat England's previously unbeaten Ruby White 5-0 in the 51kg final, having beaten world champions Nikhat Zareen and Minakshi Hooda in selection trials.
Cricket consumes 85-87 percent of commercial spending in Indian sport, leaving roughly 13-15 percent for every other sport, according to GroupM ESP.
Gold medallists receive 20 lakh rupees under the central government's Special Cash Awards and 1.5 crore rupees from Haryana, plus the chance of a government job.
Preeti Pawar, who fought underprepared at the Paris 2024 Olympics after a Hepatitis A diagnosis, beat Canada's Scarlett Delgado 5-0 for India's first boxing gold of the Games.
- Who
- Indian boxers Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar and Sachin Siwach, who come from Bhiwani and other villages in Haryana and are supported by the Indian Army, coaches and sports agencies.
- What
- Won gold medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where India achieved its best-ever boxing haul of 10 medals including 7 golds.
- Where
- Glasgow, Scotland; the boxers hail from Bhiwani and surrounding villages in Haryana, India.
- When
- 2026, during the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow.
- Why
- To highlight India's record-breaking boxing success and the financial gap boxers face because cricket dominates commercial sports spending in India.
Government Support & Security
Market-Driven Brand Building
Cash awards and secure jobs
Government Support & Security
Government cash prizes (1.5 crore rupees from Haryana, 20 lakh from the centre) and secure Army jobs are vital lifelines that clear farm loans and support families with no other income.
Market-Driven Brand Building
A guaranteed state cheque and a safe Army job can take the edge off an athlete's hunger to build a personal brand, acting as what the article calls a small tax on ambition.
When should sponsors invest
Government Support & Security
Agencies and sponsors should build athletes' brands early, during the years nobody is watching, so a personal story exists when the medal arrives.
Market-Driven Brand Building
In the traditional model, sponsors and agencies only arrive after proven success, rewarding medal winners with one-off congratulatory adverts and deals tied to the news cycle.
Key facts
- Event
- 2026 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow
- India's boxing medals
- 10 total, 7 gold (record haul)
- Sakshi Chaudhary's final
- 5-0 win over England's Ruby White (51kg)
- Preeti Pawar's final
- 5-0 win over Canada's Scarlett Delgado (first boxing gold of the Games)
- Cricket's share of sports spending
- 85-87% (GroupM ESP)
- Central cash award for gold
- 20 lakh rupees (Special Cash Awards scheme)
- Haryana cash award for gold
- 1.5 crore rupees (75 lakh silver, 50 lakh bronze)
- Sakshi Chaudhary's age
- 22
Sources
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