India's Athletics and Weightlifting Stars Shine at 2026 Commonwealth Games
Athletics Events Kick Off
The athletics segment of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in India is set to begin on Monday, with a keen focus on the men's high jump final. This event features a robust Indian lineup, including national record holder Sarvesh Kushare, former record holder Tejaswin Shankar, and Aadarsh Ram Jothi Shankar, promising an exciting competition.
Kushare and Shankar are the main contenders for medals, as highlighted by Olympics.com. Recently, Kushare broke Shankar's long-standing national record with an impressive jump of 2.31m in Bhubaneswar. He enters the Glasgow 2026 event in excellent form, having finished third at the Monaco Diamond League. Although Shankar has shifted his focus to the decathlon, he remains a prominent figure in Indian athletics, having won a bronze medal in the men's high jump at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which was India's only medal in this event.
Additional Athletics Competitions
Tejas Shirse, another national record holder, will kick off his men's 110m hurdles journey in the heats, with the final scheduled for later in the day if he qualifies. Additionally, Gurindervir Singh, the national record holder in the 100m, will participate in the opening round, while Murali Sreeshankar, the silver medallist from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, will lead India's long jump efforts in the qualifying rounds alongside Lokesh Sathyanathan.
Weightlifting Medal Aspirants
In weightlifting, India will showcase three medal hopefuls at the SEC Armadillo. Gyaneshwari Yadav (women's 53kg), Bindyarani Devi (women's 58kg), who won silver in Birmingham 2022, and Valluri Ajaya Babu (men's 79kg) will aim for podium finishes in their respective categories.
Gymnastics and Boxing Events
In artistic gymnastics, Protistha Samanta will compete in the women's vault final at The Arena, with Olympian Pranati Nayak serving as a reserve. Swathish KP is also listed as a reserve for the men's rings final.
Indian boxers will participate in four round-of-16 matches, featuring Sachin Siwach (men's 60kg), Ankush (men's 80kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (women's 51kg), and Sumit Kundu (men's 70kg). Chaudhary faces a challenging opponent in Botswana's Lethabo Modukanele, a former Commonwealth Games medallist.
Swimming and Para Sports Highlights
In swimming, Olympian Sajan Prakash will compete in the men's 200m butterfly final, while Aryan Nehra will take part in the men's 800m freestyle final. Para swimmer Swatik Patil will also compete in the men's SB9 100m breaststroke event.
India's para athletes are set to strive for podium finishes in the women's F57 shot put and men's T38 100m events.
Lawn Bowls Update
In lawn bowls, Putul Sonowal will wrap up his sectional matches against Kenya's Anwar Hamada after his chances of advancing to the semi-finals were dashed on Sunday.