Indian boxer Narender Berwal had Prime Minister Narendra Modi in stitches when he recalled a hilarious exchange with a Pakistani opponent after their bout at the 2015 World Military Games.
Berwal, who won a silver medal in the men’s 90+kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, shared the anecdote while interacting with Modi at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on Sunday, August 9.
The boxer recalled how he was drawn against a Pakistani opponent at the Military Games and was told by his army colleagues that he could not afford to lose the bout.
“My first-round match was against Pakistan. I got a call from the military that you cannot lose to a Pakistani opponent. I won that fight, but we suffered cuts and went to hospital to get stitches,” Berwal told Modi.
‘I HATE THE NAME NARENDER’
The fight, however, left Berwal and his opponent with cuts, meaning both boxers had to visit hospital for stitches after the bout.
It was there that the Pakistani boxer noticed an unusual coincidence involving Berwal, his coach and India’s Prime Minister.
Berwal said his army coach at the Games was also named Narender. The boxer then recalled what his Pakistani opponent told him after the fight.
“Aapka naam Narender hai, aapke coach ka naam Narender hai, aapke Pradhan Mantri ka naam Narendra hai. Mujhe Narendra naam se nafrat ho gayi hai,” Berwal recalled the boxer telling him.
Modi, who was listening to the anecdote carefully burst into laughter along with the rest of the room.
Berwal’s anecdote came during a celebration of India’s record-breaking boxing campaign at the Glasgow Games, where Indian boxers returned with 10 medals, including seven gold and three silver.
NARENDER BERWAL WINS SILVER AT CWG 2026
Berwal won the silver medal in the men’s 90+kg event, adding to India’s mega boxing haul at the Commonwealth Games.
India’s 10 boxing medals in Glasgow marked the country’s best-ever performance in the sport at the Games. The haul surpassed India’s previous best of six medals, with the country’s boxers winning seven gold medals and three silver this time.
Ankush Panghal, Sachin Siwach, Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary and Priya Ghanghas won gold medals, while Berwal, Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Jadumani Singh returned with silver.
Berwal, an Indian Army junior commissioned officer, also has a bronze medal from the 2023 Asian Games and is a two-time Asian Championships medallist.
His silver in Glasgow capped a memorable campaign for Indian boxing and helped contribute to India’s overall tally of 39 medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. India finished fourth in the standings with 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze medals.
The Glasgow Games concluded after 11 days of competition, with the Commonwealth Games flag and ceremonial baton formally handed over to India, which will host the 2030 edition in Ahmedabad.
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