Armed with hard work and resilience, Sachin Siwach followed the advice of his roommate-cum-mentor Amit Panghal to overcome five years of struggle, win Commonwealth Games gold, and finally make his mark at the elite level.

Sachin, who matched his fellow villager and namesake to become the second World Youth champion from Mitathal village in Haryana in 2021, battled injuries, questionable verdicts, and hard luck as he failed to make an impact at big events like the Asian Games, World Championships, and Olympic qualifiers. Meanwhile, he medalled at the Asian Championships and in World Boxing Cup stages.

Now, the CWG gold has boosted his self-belief. “Sometimes it was my mistake, sometimes not. The setbacks made me stronger. The CWG title has motivated me. I reached the top of the ladder. It’ll be easier from here on,” Sachin, the men’s 60kg champion in Glasgow, told The Hindu.

Sachin beat a range of opponents — from Canada, England, Botswana, Wales, and Namibia. He started with a win over Canada’s CWG bronze medallist Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmedieh and ended with a spectacular come-from-behind victory in the final against the big and tricky Namibian Tryagain Morning Ndevelo.

“Mine was the toughest draw. Since I had beaten the Canadian earlier, I was confident. In the final, it came down to the last round. I was determined to win gold,” he said.

Sachin wants to make amends for his quarterfinal finish, and missing out on a medal, at the last Asian Games. “It was just luck. This Asiad will be different in terms of competition. I’m confident. I’ll work on my mistakes.”

Sachin credits much of his growth to Panghal. “He was my roommate and training partner (2023-2025). I learned a lot from him — how to rectify mistakes, about diet and rest. He told me about my weak points and strengths, how to block punches and how to move my legs. Amit bhai was World No.1 and has won big medals. I learned everything from him.”

Indian men’s team head coach C.A. Kuttappa wants to see certain improvements in Sachin. “He shouldn’t bend too much. He was penalised for this in the final. Also, he should learn to adapt and box from different ranges as per the situation,” said Kuttappa.

For now, Sachin is celebrating with his family before shifting his focus to Asiad preparation.