Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Indian athletes advance in swimming, weightlifting, and para sports
Para Athletes Shine in Glasgow
Sharmila Dhankar has made history at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, securing India’s first-ever gold medal in para-athletics. Competing in the women’s Shot Put F57 event, Dhankar achieved a season-best throw of 9.81 metres at Scotstoun Stadium. This achievement ended India’s 20-year wait for a para-athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Her teammate, Shilpa K Shyla, also earned a bronze medal in the same event, contributing to one of India’s rare double-podiums.
Dhankar’s journey to gold is marked by resilience. Born in Haryana’s Chitrauli village, she contracted polio at the age of two, which affected her left leg. She was married at 19 and faced difficulties, including abuse. After returning to her parents, she remarried Ajit Singh in 2018, who encouraged her to pursue para sports. She trained under Paralympian-coach Tek Chand and won gold in her debut at the 2021 Para National Championships. Before her gold medal win in Glasgow, she had finished fourth in both the 2022 Birmingham Para Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. Her historic win has garnered praise from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Manadaviya also sharing a video of her achievement. Dhankar aims to buy a new house and plans to compete in the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
In other para-swimming events, India saw both RVVBK Budigina and Ali Imam advance to the Men’s 50m Freestyle S13 final. Budigina secured his spot by finishing third in Heat 1 with a time of 26.33 seconds. Imam also qualified for the final, clocking 28.41 seconds to finish fifth in Heat 2.
Swimming and Athletics Progress
In the swimming heats, Srihari Nataraj comfortably qualified for the men’s 100m backstroke semifinals. He finished fifth in Heat 4 with a time of 55.58 seconds, securing his place among the 16 fastest swimmers who advance. Meanwhile, Sajan Prakash’s campaign in the men’s 50m butterfly concluded as he failed to qualify for the semifinals. Competing in Heat 9, he finished last in his race with a time of 24.94 seconds, placing 28th overall among 70 swimmers. A time quicker than 24.25 seconds was needed for qualification.
On the track, India’s Vishal TK progressed to the semifinals in the 400m event, finishing second in Heat 6 with a time of 46.49 seconds. However, Rajesh Ramesh, who placed third in Heat 3 with a time of 47.43 seconds, did not secure a semifinal berth.
Weightlifting and Boxing Action
In weightlifting, Nirupama Devi Seram of India competed in the Women’s 63kg final. She finished the snatch round in fifth place with a best lift of 93kg. She attempted to lift 123kg in the clean and jerk but failed to complete her attempts. Canada’s Maude Charron led the snatch round with a Commonwealth Games record of 102kg, followed by Nauru’s Femily-Crystie Notte with 100kg and Australia’s Kiana Rose Elliott with 99kg.
India has had a strong showing in weightlifting at the Glasgow Games, having already secured six medals: one gold, four silver, and one bronze. Nirupama Devi Seram was aiming to add to this tally. Later in the day, Harjinder Kaur is scheduled to compete in the Women’s 69kg final, further strengthening India’s medal hopes in the discipline.
The boxing arena is set for a busy evening with five Indian boxers competing in quarterfinal contests. Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, Parveen Hooda, Jadumani Singh, and Kapil Pokhariya are all one victory away from securing at least a bronze medal by advancing to the semifinals. These high-stakes matches are expected to be intense, with boxing being a strong medal prospect for India.
After a six-medal haul on Monday, including India’s first-ever para-athletics gold, the Indian contingent aims to continue its momentum. The Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, runs from 23 July to 2 August 2026, featuring athletes from 72 Commonwealth nations and territories.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
