India's Mixed Results on Day 5 of Commonwealth Games 2026
India's Performance Overview
On July 28, during the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, India experienced a blend of successes and setbacks across various sports, including athletics, weightlifting, swimming, para swimming, and boxing. Notable advancements were made by Vishal TK and Preeti Pawar, while Srihari Nataraj moved on to the swimming semifinals, although Sajan Prakash fell short of advancing.
In weightlifting, Nirupama Devi Seram narrowly missed out on a medal, while many Indian athletes continued their pursuit of medals as the competition unfolded.
Vishal clocked an impressive 46.49 seconds, securing second place in his heat and surpassing the qualification mark of 46.62 seconds. This performance marked him as the first Indian to break the 45-second barrier in the men's 400m earlier this year, and he was the 14th-fastest qualifier overall, with only himself and Jamaica's Amal Glasgow advancing from their heat.
Rajesh Ramesh, however, just missed a semifinal spot in the men's 400m, finishing his heat in 47.43 seconds, which initially placed him 12th overall. Unfortunately, after five athletes outperformed him in subsequent heats, he ended up in 17th place, concluding his campaign.
Nirupama Devi Seram entered the women's 63kg weightlifting category with high hopes but could not secure a medal. She began with a 93kg lift in the snatch after failing her first attempt at the same weight. Ultimately, she finished fifth in the snatch round after failing to clear 95kg in her final attempt.
In an effort to contend for a podium finish, she raised her clean and jerk starting weight from 115kg to 123kg, but all three attempts were unsuccessful, leaving her without a valid mark in this phase.
Sarah Davies Smale from England topped the weightlifting standings with a total of 217kg, while Nauru's Emily-Crystie Notte and Olympic champion Maude Charron secured silver and gold, respectively.
In swimming, Srihari Nataraj advanced to the men's 50m freestyle semifinals, finishing fifth in Heat 4 with a time of 55.58 seconds, trailing heat winner Pieter Coetze by 1.46 seconds.
Conversely, Sajan Prakash did not qualify for the semifinals in the men's 50m butterfly, finishing last in his heat with a time of 24.94 seconds, placing him 28th overall among 70 swimmers.
India also saw success in para swimming, with Karthik Budigina and Ali Imam qualifying for the men's 50m freestyle S13 final, finishing sixth and eighth fastest in the heats, respectively.
In boxing, Preeti Pawar showcased a commanding performance against Northern Ireland's Nicole Clyde in the women's 54kg quarterfinal, winning unanimously across all three rounds with a score of 5-0. This victory guarantees her a medal at the Commonwealth Games, as she prepares for the semifinals on Friday.
Despite a mixed bag of results on Day 5, India still has several opportunities for medals. Upcoming events include Harjinder Kaur in the women's 69kg weightlifting final, Pooja Singh in the women's high jump final, and Karthik Budigina and Ali Imam competing for medals in the men's 50m freestyle S13 final, along with Gulveer Singh in the men's 10,000m final.
To date, India has secured a total of 10 medals, comprising two gold, five silver, and three bronze.