Boxing at Commonwealth Games 2022: Results from Day 9, Stephen Zimba and Delicious Orie prevail in semi-finals to progress to gold medal rounds

Tickets to the 2022 Commonwealth Games finals were on the line in a bumper day of boxing action at Birmingham on Saturday (6 August).

In making the semi-finals all boxers stepping into the ring had already banked a bronze medal but all eyes were firmly set on gold across the three semi-final sessions.

India’s Nitu Ghanghas opened the day with a prolific performance to win unanimously in the first of the women’s minimumweight semi-finals.

From the first whistle Ghanghas stunned her Canadian southpaw opponent, Priyanka Dhillon, unleashing punishing combinations to put her on the back foot.

Dhillon then tried to seize the initiative in the second and made an account for herself until the end of the round when Ghanghas threw a flurry of punches that forced a standing count of eight against the Canadian.

Two further knockdowns delivered by the Indian ultimately forced the referee to intervene and stop the contest, confirming Ghanghas’ berth to the gold medal bout.

The boxer from Dhanana will fight Demie-Jade Resztan of England for the gold medal.

Resztan fought off an inspired Lethabo Bokamoso Modukanele of Botswana to book her place in the final bout by unanimous decision.

Facing onslaught after onslaught the 25-year-old held her form to come across a class above Modukanele, earning the approval of all five judges across the three rounds.

"I'm absolutely over the moon," the Team England boxer shared afterwards. "I couldn't be any happier. I was really pleased with my performance and I felt I dominated a really good opponent."

Amit Panghal of India will take on Kieran Macdonald in the men’s flyweight final.

The 25-year-old from India won his semi-final bout against Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba by unanimous decision after flipping the scorecards in his favour after a split first round.

Chinyemba threw lots of punches being thrown but it was Panghal on the end of eye-catching stuff, ultimately drawing the judges to his cause.

Macdonald meets Panghal after an explosive encounter with Jake Dodd of Wales.

The Englishman dominated with his clever strategy, keeping Dodd at bay with well-executed counters making it nigh impossible for the man from Wrexham to make an impression.

Macdonald knocked down Dodd twice in the second before the referee intervened in early into the third round to stop the bout in favour of the home team’s boxer.

The women’s light middleweight division delivered two top bouts on semi-finals day.  

Kaye Frances Scott of Australia saw off Mozambique’s Alcinda Helena Panguane on split decision 4-1 to line up Wales’ Rosie Eccles in the gold medal match. 

Eccles, who dispatched India’s Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain in the quarterfinals, produced another smart box to dominate Eireann Cathlin Nugent of Northern Ireland by unanimous decision.  

The woman from Wales now has the chance to upgrade on her silver from the Gold Coast four years ago when she goes up against Scott.  

“It was a clear win and I am not done yet. There is still potentially nine minutes to go in the final before I can get my hands on the gold medal," Eccles said after.

“I’ll be very confident going to the final. At my best I know I will win this and that’s what I have to concentrate on.”

Fists of fury were the order of the day in the men’s middleweight semi-final bouts.

Sam Hickey of Scotland forced the referee to stop the contest against Englishman Lewis Richardson in the first of two semis.

The fight exploded into life late into the first round when Hickey countered with a cracking left hook followed through by a right hander to force a standing count of eight.

He then ended the home team’s boxer’s hopes of a gold when he knocked him down for a second time mid-way through the second round drawing the stoppage from the referee. Hickey pulled out a wicked jab before coming through once again with a lethal right hander to floor Richardson.

The 25-year-old Scotsman will meet Australia's Callum Peters who won his fight against Simnikiwe Bongco of South Africa by unanimous decision.

The final bout in the men's light heavyweight semi-final delivered the perfect crescendo to the morning session. The man from Wales' Taylor Bevan survived a second-round surge to defeat Aaron Bowen by unanimous decision in a tightly fought contest.

It all started with parrying jabs and slick combinations as the two men got the measure of each other. But it was Bevan, with his punishing lead hand, that earned the judges' favour early.

Bowen came back out fighting in the second, enough to the flip cards of four of the five judges, but it was all Bevan again in the final around. The man from Wales let out an almighty roar as he was announced as the winner with the crowd on their feet in appreciation.

He will fight for gold against Sean Lazzerini who won his semi-final on split decision 4-1.

It was all smiles for Carly McNaul at the beginning of the afternoon session after she won her light flyweight semi-final bout against Teddy Nakimuli by unanimous decision.

The boxer from Northern Ireland dominated the fight with Nakimuli who was in the ring for the first time having arrived at the semi-finals due to a walkover and a bye.

McNaul will now look to go one further than she did on the Gold Coast four years ago where she picked up a silver medal. She will face tough opposition in reigning world champion Zareen Nikhat of India who has thus far cruised through the competition.

Ghana's Abraham Mensah dropped to his knees in the centre of the ring after winning his bout against Owain Harris-Allan in the men's bantamweight semi-finals.

Both teenagers showed ring craft well beyond their years but after Harris-Allan was deducted a point for not keeping his head up in the second round, he had a mountain to climb in the third.

Mensah managed his energy levels, and the bout overall, effectively keeping the judges happy by producing quality shots. He will now face Dylan James Eagleson for the gold.

"Keep busy" were the instructions for Scotland's Matthew McHale from his corner after his opening round against Eagleson but they did little to ultimately stop the Northern Irishman from taking the bout after he turned out a better in the third round.

Gemma Paige Richardson employed a high tempo rough-house style of boxing to stave off the women's lightweight favourite Jaismine Lamboriya of India and win her semi-final on split decision, 3-2.

With little time to get into rhythm or shape Lamboriya struggled for a response needing a big final round to turn the tide in her favour but she couldn't make it happen.

Richardson will now take on reigning world champion Amy Broadhurst who unanimously defeated former professional Cynthia Ogunsemilore of Nigeria. The boxer from Northern Ireland drew the line between her and her opponent in the second round switching to a different level the Nigerian couldn't match.

It was the battle of the southpaws in the first of the men's light welterweight contests as Reese Lynch got the better of Canadian Wyatt Sandford in the first of two semi-finals.

A relaxed, back-foot puncher, Lynch neutralised the power-house front-footed style of Sandford to come out on top.

Last year, Lynch became the first ever Scot to win a medal at a senior world championships, after winning bronze in Belgrade. He will look to add to his trophy collection when he meets Mauritius' Louis Richarno Colin in the final.

After a long wait, including five Commonwealth Games appearances, Colin will take home at least a silver medal at Birmingham 2022.

Carrying the winning theme for Team Northern Ireland was Aidan Walsh who won on split decision, 4-1 in the men's light middleweight semi-finals.

The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist piled up points to frustrate his opponent Garan Croft of Wales and book his spot in the Commonwealth final.

There he will meet Tiago Osorio Muxanga of Mozambique where their contrasting styles will make for an intriguing gold medal bout.

A slow start by Australia's Edgardo Coumi was to the delight of eventual unanimous victor Lewis Williams of England.

The Australia went for a last round rally but it was too little too late to catch up to the man who had the crowd in NEC's Hall 4 singing.

In the other heavyweight semi-final unanimous winner Ato Leau Plodzicki-Faoagali made a second round surge to get himself back into the contest after being on the other side of the judges' scores in the first.

There was plenty to fight for with his opponent Duken Holo Tutakitoa-Williams trying to upgrade on his medal, which will be the first one by any athlete from Niue at a Commonwealth Games.

But it wasn't meant to be for the boxer from the South Pacific Island nation who will settle for bronze as Plodzicki-Faoagli goes for gold.

Joseph Commey of Ghana came back from a tough first round to guarantee Ghana at least a secnd boxing silver medal after defeating Hussamuddin Mohammd of India by split decision in the men's featherweight semi-final.

The Ghanaian, who has dyed his hair gold to match his medal aspirations, had an inspired finish to set up a meeting with Northern Ireland's Jude Gallagher who progressed through on walkover.

Michaela Walsh had the tribunes stomping with her overwhelming victory over South Africa's Phiwokule Mnguni in the women's featherweight division. Twice a Commonwealth Games silver medallist from 2014 and 2018 the gold is firmly on the mind of the Northern Irish boxer. But in order to lay claim to that she will have to defeat Elizabeth Oshoba.

The Nigerian secured her passage to the gold medal bout after seeing off an inspired Tina Rahimi of Australia.

Oshoba started off strongly using her height to land several punishing right hands to the Australian's head guard but then slipped in the second to allow Rahimi back into the contest.

In the end, however, it was Oshoba who landed the more eye-catching punches in the third splitting the judges 4-1 in her favour.

There was very little to separate Scotland's Tyler Jolly and Welshman Ioan Croft in their welterweight semi-final clash but victory eventually went the way of the Welshman after he rose to ascendancy following a sluggish first round. He split the cards 4-1 in his favour.

On his way out of the ring Croft was embraced by his identical twin brother Garan, who found cause to celebrate after failing to progress in his own semi-final earlier in the afternoon.

Zambia's Stephen Zimba then laid claim to victory in one of the rowdiest fights of the night. With the might of Zambian's rugby sevens team in the crowd cheering him on the 21-year-old took risks that were duly rewarded in a tightly fought contest.

World champion Tammara Thibeault showed why she is the woman to stop in the women's middleweight division. The Canadian toyed with her Australian opponent using her arm span to keep Caitlin Anne Parker at bay across the the three rounds.

Through now to the final, she will meet Mozambique's prospect Rady Adosinda Gramane who was also victor by unanimous result in her semi-final.

The curtain closer for the night were the men's super heavyweight semi-final bouts and they did not fail to delight.

Sagar Ahlawat laid on some punishing opening round hooks to start the first round strongly over his Nigerian opponent Ifeanyi Onyekwere impressing all five judges after three minutes. The devastation then rumbled on into round two when Onyekwere took a standing eight count after a big body blow.

Despite flagging in the third Ahlwat took the win by unanimous decision to book a final match-up with home town hero Delicious Orie.

The Moscow-born boxer gave plenty of reason for the crowd to cheer as he dismantled his opponent from New Zealand, Leuila Mau'u. Orie had all five judges on his side from the first round until the last using his speed to gain the upper hand.

Read: England boxer Delicious Orie: "You don't have to be from the street in order to make it.”

Commonwealth Games 2022: Day nine boxing results:

Women's minimumweight semi-finals:

• Nitu Ghanghas (IND) won on RSC over Priyanka Dhillon (CAN)
• Demie-Jade Resztan (ENG) won 5-0 over Lethabo Bokamoso Modukanele (BOT)

Men's flyweight semi-finals:

• Amit Panghal (IND) won 5-0 over Patrick Chinyemba (ZAM)
• Kiaran Macdonald (ENG) won on RSC over Jake Dodd (WAL)

Women's light middleweight semi-finals:

• Kaye Frances Scott (AUS) won 4-1 over Alcinda Helena Panguane (MOZ)
• Rosie Eccles (WAL) won 5-0 over Eireann Cathlin Nugent (NRI)

Men's middleweight semi-finals:

• Sam Hickey (SCO) won on RSC over Lewis Richardson (ENG)
• Callum Peters (AUS) won 5-0 over Simnikiwe Bongco (RSA)

Men's light heavyweight semi-finals:

• Sean Lazzerini (SCO) won 4-1 over Yusuf Lucasi Changalawe (TAN)
• Taylor Bevan (WAL) won 5-0 over Aaron Bowen (ENG)

Women's light flyweight semi-finals:

• Carly McNaul (NIR) won 5-0 over Teddy Nakimuli (UGA)
• Zareen Nikhat (IND) won 5-0 over Savannah Alfia Stubley (ENG)

Men's bantamweight semi-finals:

• Dylan James Eagleson (NIR) won 3-2 over Matthew McHale (SCO)
• Abraham Mensah (GHA) won 3-0 over Owain Harris-Allan (WAL)

Women's lightweight semi-finals:

• Gemma Paige Richardson (ENG) won 3-2 over Jaismine Jaismine (IND)
• Amy Sara Broadhurst (NIR) won 5-0 over Cynthia Ogunsemilore (NGR)

Men's light welterweight semi-finals:

• Reese Lynch (SCO) won 5-0 over Wyatt Sandford (CAN)
• Louis Richarno Colin (MRI) won 5-0 over Abdul Wahib Omar (GHA)

Men's light middleweight semi-finals:

• Aidan Walsh (NIR) won 4-1 over Garan Croft (WAL)
• Tiago Osorio Muxanga (MOZ) won 5-0 over Kassim Mbundwike (TAN)

Men's heavyweight semi-finals:

• Lewis Williams (ENG) 5-0 over Edgardo Coumi (AUS)
• Ato Leau Plodzicki-Faoagali (SAM) won 5-0 over Duken Holo Tutakitoa-Williams (NIU)

Men's featherweight semi-finals:

• Joseph Commey (GHA) won 4-1 over Hussamuddin Mohammed (IND)
• Jude Gallgher (NIR) walkover Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh (CAN)

Women's featherweight semi-finals:

• Michaela Walsh (NIR) won 5-0 over Phiwokule Mnguni (RSA)
• Elizabeth Oshoba (NGR) won 4-1 over Tina Rahimi (AUS)

Men's welterweight semi-finals:

• Ioan Croft (WAL) won 4-1 over Tyler Jolly (SCO)
• Stephen Zimba (ZAM) won 3-2 over Rohit Tokas (IND)

Women's middleweight semi-finals:

• Rady Adosinda Gramane (MOZ) won 5-0 over Jacinta Umunnakwe (NGR)
• Tammara Thiebault (CAN) won 5-0 over Caitlin Anne Parker (AUS)

Men's super heavyweight semi-finals:

• Sagar Ahlwat (IND) won 5-0 over Ifeayni Onyekwere (NGR)
• Delicious Orie (ENG) won 5-0 over Leuila Mau'u