Jadumani Singh Mandengbam did not grow up dreaming of becoming a boxer. The young athlete from Iroishemba, near Imphal in Manipur, once imagined himself becoming a footballer. But one conversation with his uncle changed the direction of his life. Boxing slowly became his sport, and the ring became the place where he would begin building his future.
Jadumani began his senior journey in the 50kg category, gradually making his presence felt on the international circuit. In 2025, he won bronze at the World Boxing Cup in Foz do Iguaçu and followed it with a silver at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Delhi. He was beginning to establish himself as one of India’s promising young boxers. Then boxing changed the rules for him.
The 50kg category was removed, leaving Jadumani with a difficult choice: move up to 55kg or risk seeing his progress come to a halt.
It wasn’t an easy decision.
At 55kg, he was shorter than many of his opponents. There were doubts about whether he could compete effectively against bigger and stronger boxers. Even the transition itself affected his training and performance. But Jadumani chose to take the risk.
He had to rebuild himself for a new weight class. And slowly, the gamble began to pay off. He earned his place in India’s Commonwealth Games team through the national selection trials. Then came Glasgow. His Commonwealth campaign began against Scotland’s Aaron Cullen. In front of the home crowd, Jadumani produced a composed performance and won 5-0. He continued the run with another unanimous victory over Pakistan’s Sumama Rehman, before progressing through the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
By the time he reached the final, the boxer who had once been questioned for moving up to 55kg was standing one fight away from Commonwealth gold. The gold slipped away against Australia’s Jye Dixon, who won the final by unanimous decision. Jadumani took silver. It may not have been the colour he wanted, but the medal represented something much bigger than a result.
A boy who once wanted to play football had found boxing. A boxer who had built his career at 50kg had been forced to start again at 55kg. And a young man from Manipur who had been told the new weight class might not suit him had fought his way all the way to a Commonwealth final.
In Glasgow, Jadumani Singh didn’t just win a silver medal. He proved that sometimes the biggest fight is the one that comes before you even enter the ring.
