CWG 2026: Gurindervir Singh fails to qualify for men’s 100m semi-finals

Glasgow: India’s Gurindervir Singh competes in the men’s 100m heat 1 heat 4 at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) India’s Gurindervir Singh suffered an early exit from the 2026 Commonwealth Games after failing to qualify for the semi-finals of the men’s 100m. The 25-year-old clocked 10.39 seconds in his heat to finish 28th overall, with only the top 17 athletes advancing to the next round. Gurindervir, who came to Glasgow with hopes of becoming the first Indian to break the elusive 10-second mark at the international stage, failed to produce his best performance when it mattered most.

A promising start, but faded in the last meters

Starting from lane five in Heat 4, the sprinter from Punjab got off to a promising start, holding his own alongside Jamaican Rohan Watson in the opening stages. However, he faded in the final 30-35 meters as Watson surged ahead to win the heat in 10.13 seconds. Although Gurindervir finished second in his heat, his time was not enough to secure a place in the semi-finals. Watson advanced after finishing ninth overall.The national record holder could not repeat the best formA total of 17 athletes advanced from the opening round, seven sprinters already reached the semi-finals automatically. Despite benefiting from a legal 1.5 m/s tailwind, Gurindervir was unable to convert the favorable conditions into a faster time. His effort of 10.39 seconds was well below his personal best and national record of 10.09 seconds, set at the Federation Cup in Ranchi earlier this year, where he became the first Indian to run under 10.10 seconds.

Azamati, Saminu lead the qualification

Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu emerged as the fastest qualifiers from the heats, clocking 10.00 seconds and 10.01 seconds to lead the field into the semi-finals.