India Shines at Commonwealth Games with Sreeshankar's Silver and Boxing Triumphs
Sreeshankar's Remarkable Long Jump Achievement
Murali Sreeshankar soared to a distance of 8.09 meters, securing his second consecutive silver medal in the long jump at the Commonwealth Games. This achievement makes him the first Indian athlete to win back-to-back medals in this event, having previously claimed silver in 2022.
Following Sreeshankar's impressive jump, India made history in para athletics by achieving a remarkable one-two finish in the men's 100m T47, a sprint category for athletes with upper-limb impairments.
Dilip Mahadu Gavit clinched the gold medal with a time of 10.71 seconds, while Mohammed Basil followed closely to take silver with a time of 10.83 seconds.
This gold medal marked India's third victory at the Commonwealth Games, joining Mirabai Chanu's win in women's 48kg weightlifting and Sharmila Dhankar's success in women's shot put F57 para athletics.
With these three medals, India has now accumulated a total of 15 medals in the Games, comprising 3 gold, 9 silver, and 3 bronze, placing them eighth in the overall standings.
Boxers Dominate the Ring
Before Sreeshankar's silver and the para athletes' achievements, Indian boxers showcased their prowess by advancing to the semifinals in various weight categories, ensuring at least 10 more medals from the boxing arena.
Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Ankush Panghal (80kg), Narender Berwal (+90kg), and World Champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) joined Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Jadumani Singh (55kg) in the semifinals of their respective categories.
In the final bout of the day, Jaismine, who previously won bronze in Birmingham, triumphed over England's Elise Glynn with a score of 4-1 in a tightly contested women's 57kg quarterfinal.
With six victories on this day, the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals has reached 10, surpassing India's total boxing medal tally from the Birmingham 2022 Games, which included three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals.
India is now guaranteed at least 10 bronze medals in this edition of the Commonwealth Games.
Hurdles and Heartbreaks
India also celebrated further success on the track as Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh K Tamilarasan qualified for the men's 400m hurdles final as the two fastest losers.
Santhosh finished third in Heat 2 with a time of 49.51 seconds, while Yashas also placed third in Heat 1, clocking 49.65 seconds. Their performances secured them the seventh and eighth overall spots, allowing them to advance to the final.
However, there was disappointment for Manpreet Singh, who finished fourth in the women's shot put final with a throw of 17.49 meters. Earlier, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill remained in contention for medals as they progressed to the shot put final.
National record holder Toor managed to qualify with throws of 19.93m and 20.14m, while Gill's best effort was 19.95m, placing him fifth overall among 15 competitors across two groups.
The finals are set to take place on Thursday, featuring those who surpassed the 20m mark or were among the top 12 performers.
Mixed Results in Other Events
In another highlight, national record holder Animesh Kujur achieved his season-best time to qualify for the 200m semifinals, finishing Heat 4 in 20.46 seconds and placing seventh overall.
Unfortunately, there was no success for India in the lifting arena, as Sanjana exited the women's 77 kg category with a Do Not Finish (DNF) result.
The swimming events also saw disappointment, with Sajan Prakash and Aneesh S Gowda failing to qualify for the men's 200m freestyle final. Prakash finished fifth in his heat with a time of 1:51.99 seconds, while Aneesh ended up 18th overall with a time of 1:51.64 seconds.