|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
India delivered their finest performance of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Day 5, claiming six medals — one gold, three silvers and two bronzes — headlined by Sharmila Dhankar’s historic para athletics gold in the women’s shot put F57 and Sarvesh Anil Kushare’s silver in the men’s high jump. The haul lifted India’s overall tally to twelve medals and confirmed the country’s standing as a serious force at Glasgow 2026.
Glasgow, Scotland: There are days at a multi-sport Games when everything clicks at once — when the scoreboard stops feeling like a tally and starts feeling like a statement. Monday, July 27 was one of those days for India at the Commonwealth Games 2026. Across Scotstoun Stadium, the SEC Armadillo and the indoor athletics hall, Indian athletes delivered with rare consistency, and by the time the last event wrapped past 2 AM IST, the country had banked six medals in a single session — its best haul of these Games and one of its finest ever single-day returns at a CWG.
It began with track, field and pool, moved through the boxing ring and the lifting platform, and ended with fireworks in para athletics. By night’s end, the medal table had shifted, and India had served notice of intent with five days of competition still remaining.
Sharmila Ends India’s 20-Year Para Athletics Wait
The emotional peak of the day arrived in the women’s shot put F57 final, where Sharmila Dhankar produced a season-best throw of 9.81 metres to win gold — ending India’s twenty-year wait for a para athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games. It was a throw of conviction and release: the Haryana para-athlete, competing in the seated F57 classification for athletes with lower limb impairments, has been one of the quiet achievers of India’s para sports movement in recent years, and her gold in Glasgow represents the culmination of that journey. Compatriot Shilpa K Shyla added a bronze in the same event, giving India a stunning 1-3 finish and ensuring the night would be remembered in Indian para athletics for decades.
Kushare Soars to Silver — India’s Next High Jump Star Arrives
At Scotstoun, the men’s high jump final brought together three Indian athletes — national record holder Sarvesh Anil Kushare, former record holder Tejaswin Shankar and young Aadarsh Ram — in what shaped up as both an international competition and a domestic showcase. Kushare, who broke Shankar’s eight-year-old national record with a 2.31m leap in Bhubaneswar earlier this month, lived up to his billing, clearing the bar with authority to claim the silver medal. Shankar, who won bronze in this event at Birmingham 2022, could not replicate that performance as he adapted to the rigours of returning to high jump after a period of decathlon focus. The result confirmed what Indian athletics fans have been sensing: a generational handover in the high jump is underway, and Kushare is very much the future.
Weightlifters Keep the Medals Coming
India’s weightlifters, the backbone of the country’s medal campaign in Glasgow, delivered twice more on Day 5. Gyaneshwari Yadav lifted a combined total of 199kg in the women’s 53kg final — executing her last clean and jerk attempt at 111kg with precision to secure silver, finishing behind Nigeria’s Onome Didih (206kg) with Canada’s Groulx (178kg) taking bronze. In the men’s 79kg final, Valluri Ajaya Babu announced himself on the biggest stage with a Commonwealth Games record snatch of 149kg, eventually combining for 330kg total to claim silver. Bindyarani Devi, silver medallist at Birmingham 2022, completed a courageous bronze-medal performance in the women’s 58kg final with a 199kg total, recovering strongly in the clean and jerk to mount a late charge. Three more lifters, three more medals — India’s weightlifting unit in Glasgow is doing something genuinely special.
Boxers Advance, Sajan Falls Short
In the boxing ring, the day belonged to India’s depth. Sachin Siwach reached the men’s 60kg quarterfinals with a composed 4-1 split decision win over England’s William Hewitt, keeping his medal hopes firmly intact. Ankush Panghal, making his Commonwealth Games debut, was even more dominant — a perfect 5-0 unanimous verdict over Antigua and Barbuda’s Zalaan Jan in the 80kg round of 16 sent him into the last eight with confidence to spare. Sakshi Choudhary also advanced with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Botswana’s Lethabo Modukanele in the women’s 51kg. The only setback came from Sumit Kundu, who was unable to find his rhythm and went down 1-4 to Northern Ireland’s Jon McConnell in the men’s 70kg, exiting the tournament.
In the pool, Sajan Prakash delivered a personal milestone by qualifying for and competing in the men’s 200m butterfly final — the veteran Olympian touching home in 1:58.05 to finish eighth. It is not the medal result India hoped for, but Prakash’s consistency in reaching a CWG final at this stage of his career deserves recognition.
Qualifiers Set the Stage — and Putul Bows Out
The afternoon session delivered its own storylines. Murali Sreeshankar and Lokesh Sathyanathan both qualified for the men’s long jump final — Sreeshankar with a commanding 8.01m leap in Group A, Sathyanathan with 7.77m in Group B — setting up a potentially medal-winning double for India on Wednesday. Tejas Shirse posted 13.76s in the 110m hurdles heats to qualify third in his heat and reach the evening final, where he will bid for India’s first hurdles medal at a CWG. In contrast, 100m sprinter Gurindervir Singh clocked 10.39s — a time that would have raised eyebrows on most nights — and was eliminated after finishing 28th overall, with only the top 17 advancing.
Putul Sonowal’s remarkable Glasgow story came to its end on the bowls green, where a defeat to Kenya’s Anwar Hamada (8-6, 5-5) left him fifth in Section D, just outside the knockout stage. Sonowal’s campaign will be remembered most for his stunning Day 2 victory over reigning world champion Ryan Bester of Canada — a result that captivated Indian sports fans and put lawn bowls back in the national conversation.
Day 5 Medal Summary:
🥇 Sharmila Dhankar — Para Athletics, Women’s Shot Put F57 (9.81m)
🥈 Gyaneshwari Yadav — Weightlifting, Women’s 53kg (199kg)
🥈 Sarvesh Anil Kushare — Athletics, Men’s High Jump
🥈 V Ajaya Babu — Weightlifting, Men’s 79kg (330kg, CWG snatch record)
🥉 Bindyarani Devi — Weightlifting, Women’s 58kg (199kg)
🥉 Shilpa K Shyla — Para Athletics, Women’s Shot Put F57
India’s overall tally after Day 5: 2 Gold | 6 Silver | 4 Bronze = 12 Medals
