Haryana’s Bhiwani has long been celebrated as “India’s Cuba” for its rich boxing heritage. The town has once again lived up to its reputation at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with local pugilists, along with a few others from across the state, securing an impressive haul of medals, including four gold, one assured silver (the final is yet to be played) and two bronze.What stands out this time, however, is the dominance of the women boxers, who outshone their male counterparts. In fact, all four gold medals have been won by Bhiwani’s women pugilists: Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Priya Ghanghas (60kg). Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), who belongs to Rajasthan but has trained in Bhiwani, has also struck gold, further enhancing the town’s reputation as a boxing powerhouse.In the men’s category, Bhiwani’s Sachin Siwach (60kg) and Hisar’s Ankush Panghal have also won the gold. Another Haryana boxer, Narender Berwal, has bagged the bronze in the 90+kg weight category.Over the years, Bhiwani has emerged as a cradle of Indian boxing, producing stars such as Olympics medallist Vijender Kumar, Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar and Vikas Krishan.Preeti Pawar’s gold performance was a one-sided affair as she commanded a 5-0 victory over Canada’s Scarlett Delgado in the final. Her father Sombir said Preeti had promised the family before leaving for Scotland that she would return with a medal. “She has kept her promise. The gold has added to the celebrations. Her mother will welcome her home with ‘churma’ and ‘kheer’,” said Sombir. A Naib Subedar in the Army, Preeti belongs to a family of sportspersons at Badesra village in Bhiwani district. Her father, grandfather and even great-grandfather were famous wrestlers in the region.Jaismine, who is also a Naib Subedar in the Army, defeated defending champion Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland to clinch the gold. The victory was significant as she had joined the ring after battling illness ahead of the Games. She had won the bronze at the previous Commonwealth Games. Sakshi Chaudhary defeated Ruby White (England) to clinch the gold for India. Bhiwani Boxing Club president Kamal Singh Pradhan said the town’s women boxers had outperformed their male counterparts this time. “It is a proud moment to see Haryana girls, especially those from Bhiwani, dominate the international boxing arena,” he said.