India enjoyed one of its best outings at the Commonwealth Games on Day 5, collecting six medals across athletics, para athletics and weightlifting while boxers and track and field athletes strengthened the country’s medal prospects. Sarvesh Kushare and Sharmila Dhankar created history with landmark performances, while India’s weightlifters once again delivered multiple podium finishes.

Away from the medals, Indian boxers advanced to the quarterfinals, long jumpers M Sreeshankar and Lokesh Sathyanathan booked places in the final, and Tejas Shirse became the first Indian to reach the men’s 110m hurdles final at the Commonwealth Games despite seeing his medal hopes dashed by injury.

Kushare, Sharmila Create History

Sarvesh Kushare scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a silver medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games. The national record holder cleared 2.25 metres, matching Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford before losing the gold on countback after both athletes failed to clear 2.28 metres.

Beckford claimed gold, while England’s Jack Kimani settled for bronze with a clearance of 2.20 metres. Kushare’s silver improved upon Tejaswin Shankar’s bronze medal from the Birmingham 2022 Games and marked the 31-year-old’s first medal at a major multi-sport event.

India also celebrated a historic achievement in para athletics as Sharmila Dhankar won the country’s first-ever Commonwealth Games para athletics gold. She claimed the women’s F57 shot put title with a season-best effort of 9.81 metres, ending India’s 20-year wait for a para athletics medal at the Games.

The celebrations continued after teammate Shilpa Shyla was upgraded to bronze following a successful Indian protest. Officials ruled that Nigeria’s Eucharia Iyiazi had no valid mark, promoting Shyla, who had recorded a personal-best throw of 7.26 metres.

Weightlifters Continue Medal Surge

India’s weightlifters maintained their impressive form by adding three more medals to the country’s tally.

Valluri Ajaya Babu won silver in the men’s 79kg category with a combined lift of 330kg, comprising 149kg in the snatch and 181kg in the clean and jerk. He finished just one kilogram behind Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad, who set a Commonwealth Games record with a total of 331kg.

Earlier, Gyaneshwari Yadav secured silver in the women’s 53kg event with a total lift of 199kg, while Bindyarani Devi earned bronze in the women’s 58kg category after matching the same overall total of 199kg.

Ajaya Babu’s silver took India’s weightlifting tally to six medals at the Games, reaffirming the sport’s status as the country’s most successful discipline.

Boxers Advance, Athletics Delivers Mixed Results

India’s boxing team continued its strong campaign with Sachin Siwach, Ankush and Sakshi Chaudhary all advancing to the quarterfinals.

Former world youth champion Sachin Siwach defeated England’s William Hewitt 4-1 in the men’s 60kg category, while Ankush outclassed Antigua and Barbuda’s Jan Zalaan 5-0 in the men’s 80kg event. Sakshi Chaudhary also registered a dominant 5-0 victory over Botswana’s Lethabo Modukanele in the women’s 51kg division.

Sumit was the only Indian boxer to bow out after losing 1-4 to Northern Ireland’s Jon McConnell in the men’s 70kg competition.

In athletics, M Sreeshankar comfortably qualified for the men’s long jump final with an opening jump of 8.01 metres, while Lokesh Sathyanathan also progressed with a best effort of 7.77 metres.

National record holder Tejas Shirse became the first Indian to qualify for the Commonwealth Games men’s 110m hurdles final but finished eighth after suffering a navicular stress fracture during the warm-up. Meanwhile, Gurindervir Singh missed out on the men’s 100m semifinals despite finishing second in his heat.

Mixed Results Across Other Events

India’s swimmers endured a difficult day, with Sajan Prakash finishing eighth in the men’s 200m butterfly final and Aryan Nehra placing eighth in the men’s 800m freestyle final.

In para swimming, Swatik Patil narrowly missed a podium finish after ending fifth in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 final.

Elsewhere, Protistha Samanta finished seventh in the women’s vault final in artistic gymnastics, while Putul Sonowal missed out on a place in the lawn bowls men’s singles semifinals.

India’s men’s 3×3 basketball team concluded its campaign with a narrow 6-7 defeat to Nigeria, ending the competition with one win and four losses. The wheelchair women’s team continued its Pool B campaign at the Games.

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