Historic First for India in Glasgow as Sharmila Dhankar Claims Para-Athletics Gold
Sharmila Dhankar ended a 20-year drought for India by securing the nation's first-ever Commonwealth Games para-athletics gold in shot put. The victory headlined a successful day in Glasgow as Indian athletes secured silver medals in high jump and weightlifting.
Para-Athletics and High Jump Breakthroughs
Sharmila Dhankar secured her place in the history of Indian sport on Monday night in Glasgow, becoming the first Indian athlete to win a para-athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Competing in the F57 classification for athletes with lower limb impairments, Dhankar recorded a season-best 9.81m in the women’s shot put. This victory represents India’s first podium finish in para-athletics since Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan’s bronze in 2006.
Shortly after Dhankar’s triumph, Sarvesh Kushare achieved a milestone in the men’s high jump. The 31-year-old national record holder cleared 2.25m to win silver, surpassing the bronze won by Tejaswin Shankar in Birmingham four years ago. Kushare narrowly missed the top spot on countback after both he and Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford failed to clear 2.28m. In the same event, Adarsh Ram secured fifth place with 2.15m, while Shankar retired after a failed 2.05m attempt to preserve his fitness for the upcoming decathlon.
Weightlifting Records Fall in Medal Charge
India’s weightlifting contingent expanded its medal count to six during the July 27, 2026 sessions. Valluri Ajaya Babu engaged in a high-stakes duel with Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad in the men’s 79kg division. The Andhra Pradesh lifter totaled 330kg (149kg snatch and 181kg clean and jerk), losing the gold by a single kilogram to Hidayat’s Games record total of 331kg.
The women’s sessions added two more medals to the tally:
- Gyaneshwari Yadav: Secured silver in the 53kg event with a career-best total of 199kg (88kg and 111kg), finishing behind Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih.
- Bindyarani Devi: Earned bronze in the 58kg class with a 199kg total (87kg and 112kg), as Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal took gold.
Mixed Fortunes in Combat and Track Events
In the boxing ring, Sachin Siwach (60kg), Ankush (80kg), and Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) all advanced to the quarterfinals with decisive victories. However, the 70kg category saw Sumit exit the competition following a 1-4 split decision loss to Northern Ireland’s Jon McConnell.
On the track, results were less favorable. National record holder Gurindervir Singh failed to progress past the 100m heats, clocking 10.39 seconds for a 28th-place finish. In the 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse became the first Indian to reach the final of the event at these Games despite suffering a navicular stress fracture during warm-ups. Occupying the final lane with a taped leg, Shirse finished eighth in 15.39 seconds. Meanwhile, in the pool, Sajan Prakash and Aryan Nehra both finished eighth in the 200m butterfly and 800m freestyle finals, respectively.
Source: The Hindu — Home
