World Class Boxers Heading to the Commonwealth Games

There are a number of world class athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games and they are all worth backing for a gold medal. The team of boxers from Northern Ireland have won more medals than any other country, and they are hoping to add to that haul with Ken Hickey, Nikhat Zareen and Callum Peters.
Fiji is the current front runner

There are many tidbits to be learned about Fiji’s long and winding road to independence. The most obvious is that it is a nation of islands. It also has been a victim of the bigger fish. Some of the larger unions have wrangled a fair share of the action. One example of this is the Fijian rugby union. Despite the good intentions of its leaders, the union has often found itself on the losing end of a deal or two. This is not to mention the lack of money in the bank. In a nutshell, Fiji is just as likely to be the next rugby union foe of Australia as it is to be a team in its own right.

Although the name of the game has been dragged through the mud, the Fijian government has done its part to help the cause. Aside from the obligatory social welfare and educational reforms, the government has taken a savvy approach to attracting foreign investment. For example, the burgeoning tourism industry can be considered the crown jewel of the federation. While Fiji hasn’t yet Tiger111
achieved economic independence, the country is certainly making a case for the accolade.

Fiji is a world beater when it comes to sevens. However, their prowess extends to more traditional sporting events such as football and tennis. With the world’s best overall ranking in the ICC rankings, the nation is also a likely contender for the 2022 crown. If they can win a silver medal in the field hockey matchup, it might be a cinch to achieve the ultimate goal.

Among the many other things Fiji does well, one of the most notable is its national sport of rugby union. While the fabled Fijian juggernaut has snared a slew of contracts in recent years, a number of high-powered unions have also been in the pockets of greedy individuals looking to ply their trade.
Northern Ireland’s boxing squad has won more medals than any other nation

The boxing squad of Northern Ireland has achieved a new record of 18 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. It surpassed the previous record of 15 set in Edinburgh 1986. This means Northern Ireland now has more gold and silver medals than any other nation.

Boxing has been the most successful sport for Team NI at the Commonwealths. This year the team won seven golds and 53 bronzes.

Belfast’s Aidan Walsh won a gold medal in the light middleweight division after defeating Tiago Osorio Muxanga from Mozambique. His sister Michaela also won a gold in the featherweight division.

Dublin’s Kenny Egan reached the final of the men’s light heavyweight division, losing out to China’s Xiaoping Zhang by 11-7. Tyrone’s Jude Gallagher won a gold medal in the featherweight division.

In Birmingham the Team NI class of 2022 took home a total of seven golds. This was more than any other Northern Ireland team, including Michaela and Aidan Walsh.

Another gold medal was added to the collection of Amy Broadhurst. She won a gold in the lightweight division, beating England’s Gemma Richardson in the final.

Boxing was also the first of the host nation’s three main sports to end in a one-two finish. It was a fantastic week for boxing.

Despite losing two of their final bouts to India’s Zareen Nikhat and Nigeria’s Elizabeth Oshoba, the Belfast women came away with silver. And Carly McNaul, who defeated the reigning World Champion Nihat Nihat, won a silver medal as well.

Boxing was the most successful sport for Team NI at this year’s Games, claiming five gold medals and one silver. This was a remarkable achievement.
Ken Hickey beat Callum Peters in the middleweight division

The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England was a smorgasbord of a sporting event. There were 231 entrants from 55 member nations – a few notable exceptions included Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. A whopping 68 gold medals were awarded to the victors. It’s also a safe bet that many of these contestants will be returning to Paris in 2024 for the Parisian edition.

The best thing about the Games was the camaraderie of the competitors. Even Kiade MacDonald was able to get in on the action. This was the icing on the cake for one of the many aspiring boxers in this competition. That said, some of the comrades did take the piss out of each other. The most notable retorts were in the middleweight division. Despite having a shaky start, Peters put up a good fight for his weight class.

Hickey did not quite make it to the finals, but the Scottish phenom proved that being a professional boxer is no easy task. He acquitted himself well enough to be considered an All Star in the making. His bout with Australian fighter Callum Peters is the best middleweight boxing match of his career. Touted as one of the more entertaining bouts to date, it was a slugfest, but he did manage to show some signs of improvement in the second half.

In any event, Hickey’s victory is the most significant victory for Scotland in this particular Games and is a fitting tribute to his hardworking teammates. Best of all, the triumph was a happy one. Hopefully it is a precursor to the next phase of his boxing career. Of course, he will be accompanied by many of the other finalists as they prepare for the big leagues.
Nikhat Zareen is another boxer hoping to add to the haul of medals

Nikhat Zareen is a promising boxer from India. She is the reigning world champion in the 50-52kg weight division. Her latest title came in Istanbul at the Women’s World Championships. Now, she will head to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham hoping to add more gold to the haul.

Zareen has been supported by the Sports Authority of India and Boxing Federation of India. But she must establish herself in the sport as she looks to emulate the success of Mary Kom.

In the CWG, she will compete in the women’s 50kg category. She will have to gain weight ahead of the Asian Games in 2023. However, she is currently the cynosure of the sport. During her ring career, she has won three world championships, and the Stradja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria.

She is the fifth Indian woman to win a World Championship title, after Mary Kom, Amit Panghal, Nikhat Khatri, and Manika Batra. Nikhat has also received support from her parents. They encouraged her to take up the sport, despite a lack of women in her country.

The 26-year-old, who hails from Osmanabad, Telangana, will compete in the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Despite a shoulder injury in 2017, she has returned to the ring and won gold in the women’s 50kg light flyweight division. She is now set to face Helena Ismael Bagao of Mozambique.

The other boxers scheduled to take part in the semi-final bouts on Saturday include Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, who will go up against Wales’ Rosie Eccles. Two-time World Champion, Mohammad Hussamuddin, will also look to reclaim his bronze from the 2010 CWG.

The team of 322 includes 215 athletes, 72 team officials, and nine additional contingent staff.
World-class athletes are always worth backing for gold

The Commonwealth Games may be a few years away but the promise of world class athletes is still very much on the cards. There are a variety of markets to bet on including para-sport events.

Gold medals may be the biggest reward of the games, but world championship titles are also important. Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, is a dynamo in the 100m and 200m.

Other notable winners at the Games include the likes of Jessica Jones, who won gold in the pool in three events. Susie O’Neill, who has won eight golds, is also one of Australia’s most successful swimmers.

Although the Commonwealth Games are often thought of as a diversionary event, it is an inspirational showcase of athleticism. It features cities around the world and it encourages a spirit of fair play and goodwill.

For the past five years, Australia has held the top spot in the medal table. It has won an astounding 80 gold medals in the pool and a whopping 64 in other sports.

New Zealand is the fifth most prolific country with 657 medals. It is not always the most popular choice when betting on the Games.

The Commonwealth Games are often referred to as the “Friendly Games” as they are meant to highlight the ties between Commonwealth nations. They were first held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930. Later, they became the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games.

While many countries have failed to win any gold at the Games, India has won 38. Sri Lanka is among the 14 who haven’t. Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia have each won six. Ascension Island, the former dependency of Saint Helena, is not a member of the Commonwealth.