In Glasgow, Murali Sreeshankar soared to 8.09 meters, earning him his second consecutive silver medal in the long jump at the Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, the country’s boxers displayed their prowess, securing an impressive total of 10 medals from the boxing ring, contributing to a successful day for the team on Wednesday.
Event Context
Sreeshankar made history as the first Indian athlete to win consecutive medals in long jump, following his silver medal at the 2022 Games with another impressive performance. Following Sreeshankar’s leap, India achieved a remarkable milestone in para athletics by securing a one-two finish in the men’s 100m T47 event, which features athletes with upper-limb impairments.
Dilip Mahadu Gavit claimed the gold medal with a time of 10.71 seconds, while Mohammed Basil took silver with a finish of 10.83 seconds. This gold represented India’s third medal at the Commonwealth Games after Mirabai Chanu’s victory in the women’s 48kg weightlifting and Sharmila Dhankar’s win in the women’s shot put F57 para athletics category.
With these achievements, India’s total medal tally now stands at 15 – comprising 3 gold, 9 silver, and 3 bronze, positioning the country in eighth place on the medal table.
Sreeshankar’s Outstanding Performance
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Sreeshankar’s initial jump of 8.03 meters placed him in third position, trailing behind Scotland’s Stephen McKenzie and Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle, both of whom recorded jumps of 8.08 meters. Sreeshankar briefly took the lead with a jump of 8.09 meters, but Gayle surpassed him with a leap of 8.15 meters to secure the gold. McKenzie finished with the bronze at 8.08 meters, while fellow Indian Lokesh Sathyanathan concluded in fifth place with a best jump of 7.97 meters.
Boxers Shine Once Again
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Prior to Sreeshankar’s silver and the para athletics success, India’s boxers showcased their prowess by advancing to the semifinals in numerous weight categories, thus securing at least 10 additional medals. Notable boxers such as Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Panghal, Narender Berwal, and world champion Jaismine Lamboria joined Lovlina Borgohain, Priya Ghanghas, Preeti Pawar, and Jadumani Singh in the semifinals of their respective categories.
In a thrilling quarterfinal, Jaismine, a bronze medal winner from Birmingham, triumphed over England’s Elise Glynn with a score of 4-1 in the women’s 57kg division. With six victories for the day, the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals reached 10, surpassing India’s previous boxing tally of three gold, one silver, and three bronze from Birmingham 2022. India is now guaranteed at least 10 bronze medals in this edition of the Commonwealth Games.
Track Success for Indian Hurdlers
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India celebrated more success on the track as Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh K Tamilarasan secured spots in the men’s 400m hurdles final as the two fastest losers. Santhosh clocked in at 49.51 seconds, placing third in Heat 2, while Yashas finished in third in Heat 1 with a time of 49.65 seconds. Their performances earned them the seventh and eighth spots overall, allowing them to advance to the finals outside of the six automatic qualifying positions.
Disappointment for Manpreet
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On the downside, Manpreet Singh finished fourth in the women’s shot put final with a throw of 17.49 meters. Both Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill also competed for medals, making it into the shot put finals. National record holder Toor managed to qualify with throws of 19.93 meters and 20.14 meters in Group A, while Gill recorded a best throw of 19.95 meters in Group B, ultimately finishing fifth overall among the 15 competitors.
To qualify for the finals, athletes needed to surpass the 20-meter mark or be among the top 12 performers across both groups, with finals scheduled for Thursday.
Optimism in the 200m Semifinals
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Adding another bright spot on the track, national record holder Animesh Kujur posted a season-best time of 20.46 seconds to qualify for the 200m semifinals, winning Heat 4 and finishing seventh overall. The top 16 runners from ten heats will progress to the semifinals, set to take place on Thursday.
Challenges in Weightlifting and Swimming
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Unfortunately, India’s hopes faded in the weightlifting arena as Sanjana exited the women’s 77 kg category without a valid lift. Similar disappointments occurred in swimming when both Sajan Prakash and Aneesh S Gowda failed to qualify for the men’s 200m freestyle final. Prakash placed fifth in his heat with a time of 1:51.99, while the debutant Aneesh finished 18th overall with a time of 1:51.64.
