2026 Commonwealth Games: Day One Round-Up

It was a successful opening day for Team England’s boxing squad, with four unanimous victories secured under the bright lights of the SEC Centre in Glasgow.

Lauren Mackie got Team England’s campaign underway in the very first boxing contest of the Games, producing a commanding 5-0 victory over Kenya’s Amina Faki in the women’s 54kg division. An impressive knockdown in the second round capped a dominant display, booking Mackie’s place in Sunday’s last 16.

After overcoming those opening nerves, the 20-year-old was pleased to have made a strong start: “The first one’s always the toughest with the nerves and everything, but we’ve got that out of the way. I’ve got confidence going into the next one now, with the momentum carrying us through.”

Next into the ring was teammate, Ellis Trowbridge, who proved far too quick for Ricksen Nomleas (Vanuatu) in the men’s 55kg division. Trowbridge thrilled the crowd with a first-round stoppage after just 1:53, making a statement in his opening bout of the tournament.

Reflecting on his performance, the Southerner said: “Fantastic start to the tournament. Like I said earlier, I’m not here to play about. I’m going in there to do a job and if I feel I can get you out of there, that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve missed that little killer instinct in the past and I’m bringing it to these Commonwealth Games.”

Team England athlete Lauren Mackie in action.

The evening session saw Birmingham’s very own Lucy Kings-Wheatley step into the ring against Papua New Guinea’s Petronella Nokenoke in the women’s 60kg division. Kings-Wheatley put on a great performance, earning another unanimous points victory for Team England.

With a place in the Quarter Finals secured, she is already looking ahead to Tuesday’s contest: “It’s actually nice for me to get a little rest now and I’m looking forward to the Quarter Final. I’m going to spend tomorrow resting and then the next two days doing some training – just to keep sharp. I’m going to work on a few things that maybe I got a little bit complacent with and lost my concentration on. Just need to keep that focus now.”

Rounding off an impressive day for Team England, Patris Mughalzai claimed a convincing 5-0 victory over Ghana’s Abdul Omar in the Round of 32. He returns to the ring on Sunday, where he will compete for a place in the Quarter Finals of the Men’s 65kg division.

Speaking on his impressive win, Londoner Mughalzai said: “I went in there and showed levels, I faced a Rio 2016 Olympian and a two-time Commonwealth medallist but I thought I would just go in there and feel him out. It was a crazy atmosphere, everyone was cheering me on, supporting me and I’m forever grateful for the fans.”