CWG 2026: Jaismine Lamboria Storms into Women's 57kg Boxing Final with Dominant RSC Victory

India's medal rush at the Commonwealth Games 2026 continued on Friday as reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria produced a sensational performance to defeat Rapelang Maselela of Lesotho and book her place in the women's 57kg boxing final.

The Indian boxer completely outclassed her opponent, forcing the referee to stop the contest in the second round after a series of standing counts. The victory via Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) guarantees India at least a silver medal and sets up a gold medal clash against Northern Ireland's Michaela Walsh.

After Ankush Panghal and Preeti Pawar had already secured places in their respective finals earlier in the day, Jaismine continued India's remarkable run with one of the most dominant boxing performances of the tournament.

Jaismine entered the semifinal as the overwhelming favourite. The reigning world champion had already demonstrated her class earlier in the competition by defeating England's Elise Glynn to reach the last four and carried that confidence into the ring. Clad in the red corner, the Indian appeared relaxed and composed as she made her way towards the ring, smiling before the opening bell.

Her calm demeanour quickly translated into controlled aggression once the bout began.

The contest started at an energetic pace with both boxers eager to establish dominance. Following the customary glove touch, Maselela attempted to unsettle the Indian with an aggressive opening, throwing combinations in search of an early advantage. The Lesotho boxer targeted Jaismine's body with a series of jabs while looking to close the distance quickly.

Jaismine, however, remained patient. Using her superior reach and excellent footwork, she avoided the majority of Maselela's attacks before responding with clean, accurate punches. The Indian's height advantage proved particularly useful as she repeatedly landed straight punches while staying just out of her opponent's range.

As the round progressed, Jaismine increasingly took control. She ended the opening three minutes with a sharp sequence of combinations that visibly troubled Maselela and left a strong impression on the judges. When the scorecards were announced, all five judges awarded the round to Jaismine, giving her a commanding 5-0 lead after the opening round.

Trailing on every judge's scorecard, Maselela entered the second round with greater urgency. The Lesotho boxer attempted to increase the pace, launching quick left-right combinations in an effort to force the Indian onto the defensive. Instead, the opposite happened.

Jaismine displayed exceptional timing, repeatedly intercepting Maselela's attacks with precise counter-punches. Every time the Lesotho boxer stepped forward, the Indian answered with clean, scoring blows that found their target. As frustration grew, Maselela abandoned her tactical discipline and began throwing increasingly reckless punches.

Jaismine capitalised immediately. Using intelligent movement around the ring, she avoided the wild swings before punishing her opponent with accurate combinations to both the head and body. The Indian then trapped Maselela near the ropes and unleashed a sustained flurry of punches that left the referee with little choice but to intervene.

The referee issued the first standing count as Maselela struggled to defend herself against the relentless pressure. Although the Lesotho boxer was allowed to continue, the pattern remained unchanged. Jaismine maintained complete control, landing heavy punches while refusing to give her opponent any opportunity to recover. Moments later, another powerful combination forced a second standing count, highlighting the growing gulf in class between the two boxers.

The Indian continued pressing forward with remarkable composure, never abandoning her defensive discipline despite sensing victory. Soon afterwards, another barrage of punches forced the referee to administer a third standing count. At that point, the official determined Maselela was no longer in a position to safely continue the contest. The bout was stopped, and Jaismine Lamboria was declared the winner by Referee Stopped Contest (RSC).

It was a clinical performance that reflected complete dominance from start to finish.

The victory sends Jaismine into the women's 57kg gold medal match, where she will face experienced Northern Ireland boxer Michaela Walsh. The Indian enters the final in outstanding form. Across her Commonwealth Games campaign, she has displayed the qualities that have established her among the world's leading boxers—excellent ring awareness, technical precision, intelligent movement and the ability to finish contests decisively.

https://www.indiasportshub.com/articles/commonwealth-games-2026-jadumani-singh-mandengbam-marches-into-men-s-55kg-boxing-final-with-dominant-victory

Against Rapelang Maselela, those qualities were on full display. Her ability to absorb early pressure before gradually taking complete control demonstrated both tactical maturity and championship temperament.

Jaismine's victory further strengthened India's impressive boxing campaign in Glasgow. The Indian contingent has consistently delivered across multiple weight categories, with several athletes now competing for Commonwealth Games gold. Earlier in the day, Preeti Pawar advanced to the women's 54kg final after defeating Zambia's Catherine Mwape by unanimous decision, while Ankush Panghal also booked his place in the men's 80kg final with a commanding victory over Canada's Joshua Ofori.

Jaismine's emphatic semifinal triumph ensured India added another guaranteed silver medal while keeping alive hopes of multiple boxing golds before the Games conclude.

Standing between Jaismine Lamboria and Commonwealth Games glory is just one more bout. Her performance against Maselela will undoubtedly give her tremendous confidence heading into the final. The Indian looked faster, stronger and tactically superior throughout the semifinal, barely allowing her opponent any sustained success.

If she can reproduce the same level against Michaela Walsh, Jaismine will have an excellent opportunity to add Commonwealth Games gold to her growing collection of international achievements.

For India, her qualification is another significant step in what is becoming an outstanding boxing campaign. For Jaismine, it is the chance to crown her tournament with the biggest prize of all and reaffirm her status as one of the finest boxers in the Commonwealth.