Indian boxer Narender Berwal left Prime Minister Narendra Modi laughing after sharing a humorous exchange he had with a Pakistani opponent following their bout at the 2015 World Military Games.
Berwal, who won silver in the men's 90+kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, recounted the incident during an interaction with Modi at the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi on Sunday, August 9.
Berwal remembered being drawn against a Pakistani boxer at the Military Games and said his army colleagues had made it clear that losing the bout was not an option.
"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 bout left both boxers with injuries, forcing them to visit a hospital for stitches. It was there that Berwal's opponent noticed an amusing coincidence involving the Indian boxer, his coach and the country's Prime Minister.
Berwal explained that his army coach at the tournament was also named Narender. He then recalled the comment made by his Pakistani opponent 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 saying.
Modi, who had been listening to the story, burst into laughter along with everyone else present.
Berwal shared the anecdote during a gathering celebrating India's outstanding boxing performance at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where Indian boxers won 10 medals, including seven gold and three silver.
NARENDER BERWAL WINS SILVER AT CWG 2026
Berwal claimed the silver medal in the men's 90+kg category, contributing to India's record-breaking boxing campaign at the Games.
India's 10 boxing medals in Glasgow marked the country's best-ever performance in the sport at the Commonwealth Games. The tally surpassed the previous record of six medals, with Indian boxers winning seven gold medals and three silver.
Ankush Panghal, Sachin Siwach, Jaismine Lamboria, Preeti Pawar, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary and Priya Ghanghas won gold medals. Berwal, Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Jadumani Singh secured silver medals.
An Indian Army junior commissioned officer, Berwal also won bronze at the 2023 Asian Games and is a two-time Asian Championships medallist.
His silver medal in Glasgow capped an impressive campaign for Indian boxing and contributed to India's overall haul of 39 medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. India finished fourth in the medal 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 ahead of the 2030 edition, which will be hosted in Ahmedabad.
