India Continues Strong Commonwealth Games 2026 Campaign with Gold, Silvers, and Boxing Success
India extended its impressive run at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow with another medal-filled day, headlined by a historic performance from Sharmila Dhankar, who became the country’s first-ever Commonwealth Games para-athletics gold medallist. High jumper Sarvesh Kushare and weightlifters Valluri Ajaya Babu and Gyaneshwari Yadav also delivered outstanding performances, each winning a silver medal to strengthen India’s position on the medals table.
Meanwhile, Indian boxers kept their medal hopes alive by advancing to the quarterfinals, while athletics and swimming produced mixed results.
Sharmila Dhankar Wins Historic Para-Athletics Gold
Sharmila Dhankar etched her name into Indian sporting history by winning the women’s shot put F57 gold medal with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres.
Her victory marked India’s first-ever gold medal in para-athletics at the Commonwealth Games and ended a 20-year wait for a medal in the discipline. The last Indian para-athletics medal at the Games came in 2006, when Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan secured bronze in the men’s seated discus throw.
The F57 category is designed for athletes with lower-limb impairments, limb deficiencies, or reduced muscle strength, making Dhankar’s achievement even more significant.
Sarvesh Kushare Scripts History in High Jump
National record holder Sarvesh Kushare also made history by becoming the first Indian to win a silver medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games.
The 31-year-old cleared 2.25 metres before narrowly missing the gold medal on countback after both he and Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford failed to clear 2.28 metres. Beckford claimed gold, while England’s Kimani Jack took bronze with a best jump of 2.20 metres.
Kushare’s silver surpassed the bronze won by Tejaswin Shankar at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which had previously been India’s best result in the event.
Tejaswin, who was also competing on Day 5, withdrew from the competition after failing to clear 2.05 metres on his opening attempt as a precaution ahead of the upcoming decathlon. Fellow Indian Adarsh Ram finished fifth with a best jump of 2.15 metres.
Weightlifting Continues to Deliver Medals for India
Weightlifting once again emerged as India’s strongest discipline, adding multiple medals to the country’s tally.
Valluri Ajaya Babu Wins Silver in Men’s 79kg
Twenty-one-year-old Valluri Ajaya Babu claimed the silver medal in the men’s 79kg category after a thrilling contest with Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad.
The Andhra Pradesh lifter recorded a total lift of 330kg, including 149kg in the snatch and 181kg in the clean and jerk. He narrowly missed the gold medal by just 1kg, as the Malaysian lifter set a new Commonwealth Games record with 331kg.
Both athletes broke Games records during an exciting clean and jerk battle before the Malaysian secured victory with his final lift.
Ajaya Babu’s medal increased India’s weightlifting tally to six medals at the Games.
Gyaneshwari Yadav and Bindyarani Devi Also Shine
Earlier in the competition, Gyaneshwari Yadav secured the silver medal in the women’s 53kg category with a career-best combined lift of 199kg (88kg snatch + 111kg clean and jerk).
Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih won gold after setting new Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games records with a total of 206kg.
In the women’s 58kg category, Bindyarani Devi earned the bronze medal with a combined lift of 199kg (87kg snatch + 112kg clean and jerk). Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal captured gold with a record-breaking performance.
Indian Boxers March into Quarterfinals
India’s boxing team continued its impressive campaign, with several athletes moving closer to medal contention.
Former World Youth Champion Sachin Siwach defeated England’s William Hewitt by a 4-1 split decision in the men’s 60kg category to reach the quarterfinals. He will now face Botswana’s Treasure Moremi for a place in the semifinals.
In the men’s 80kg division, Ankush registered a dominant 5-0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda’s Jan Zalaan, while Sakshi Chaudhary also progressed after defeating Botswana’s Lethabo Modukanele by the same scoreline in the women’s 51kg category.
However, Sumit exited the tournament after suffering a narrow 1-4 split-decision defeat against Northern Ireland’s Jon McConnell in the men’s 70kg Round of 16.
Mixed Results in Athletics
India experienced contrasting fortunes on the athletics track.
National record holder Gurindervir Singh failed to progress beyond the men’s 100m heats, finishing 28th overall with a timing of 10.39 seconds. Despite entering the Games with a personal best of 10.09 seconds, he could not qualify for the semifinals.
There was better news from the hurdles event, where Tejas Shirse became the first Indian to reach the Commonwealth Games men’s 110m hurdles final.
The 24-year-old qualified after clocking 13.76 seconds in his heat. Unfortunately, an injury affected his performance in the final, where he finished eighth with a time of 15.39 seconds. His national record remains 13.27 seconds.
Swimmers Miss Out on Medals
India’s swimmers were unable to reach the podium on Day 5.
Two-time Olympian Sajan Prakash finished eighth in the men’s 200m butterfly final, clocking 1:58.05, while Aryan Nehra also placed eighth in the men’s 800m freestyle final with a time of 8:07.26.
In para-swimming, Swatik Patil produced a commendable effort to finish fifth in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 event with a timing of 1:15.82.
India Keeps the Momentum Going at CWG 2026
Day 5 once again showcased India’s growing strength across multiple sports. Historic achievements from Sharmila Dhankar and Sarvesh Kushare, another productive outing for the weightlifting contingent, and strong performances in boxing ensured that India’s medal tally continued to grow.
With several major events still to come, the Indian contingent will be looking to build on this momentum and add more medals in the remaining days of the Commonwealth Games 2026.