Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hosted all members of the Indian contingent who returned with medals from the 2026 Commonwealth Games at his residence in New Delhi, where he interacted with the athletes and also held one-on-one conversations with a few of them. One of the medal winners, Narender Berwal, who finished second in the men's 90kg boxing category, revealed an interesting story from his boxing career.
Berwal recalled an exchange he had with a Pakistani pugilist after defeating him at the 2015 World Military Games, saying that his opponent was surprised by the repeated use of the name Narendra in his life.
Berwal was among the 10 Indian boxers who returned with medals from the Commonwealth Games, as India set the benchmark for the best-ever performance by a nation in boxing at any CWG edition, surpassing the previous record of six gold medals jointly held by England (1934 and 2018) and Canada (1986). India's tally included seven gold and three silver medals.
Prime Minister Modi interacted with all the Indian athletes who secured medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 and congratulated them for their dedication, hard work and contribution towards bringing glory to the country. India won 39 medals at the Games, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.
While that was lower than the medal tally that India had consistently achieved in each of the previous editions of the Games since 2002, the reduced number of events in Glasgow needs to be taken into consideration. India nevertheless maintained its streak of finishing inside the top five at the Commonwealth Games, a run that has continued since 2002. India finished fourth at the CWG 2026.
The Glasgow Games concluded after 11 days of competition, with Scotland formally handing over the Commonwealth Games flag and ceremonial baton to India, which will host the landmark centenary edition of the multi-sport event in Ahmedabad in 2030.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More