CWG 2026: India double joy as Praveen, Selva qualify for men’s triple jump final

India’s Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu booked their places in the men’s triple jump final, giving the nation a double boost on the eighth day of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday. Praveen earned his place smoothly with a calm and composed performance, while Selva fought his way back from the penalty spot after two consecutive fouls to secure his place with a final dive under high pressure.

CWG Update on 8

Praveen recorded his highest mark of 16.41m in his very first attempt. Although he fell just short of the 16.60m automatic entry benchmark, the effort was more than enough to earn him second place in the qualifying round and send him through to the final. Jamaica’s Jordan Scott led the pack with a jump of 16.56m, with the top 12 jumpers overall earning places in the medal round.

Selva’s path to the final was full of drama. The athlete from Tamil Nadu got off to a rough start, committing fouls on his first two attempts and leaving himself zero room for error on the third and final jump. Staring at an early exit, Selva kept his cool under intense pressure to produce a strong performance of 16.26m to jump to third overall and comfortably book his place in the final.

Praveen set the tone straight away with an opening mark of 16.41m, which put him at the top of the rankings at the start of the qualifying round. Feeling confident that his initial distance was enough to advance, he decided to overtake on the second attempt. Jordan Scott eventually overtook him with a jump of 16.56m, but Praveen remained firmly in the qualifying position throughout the competition.

In contrast, Selva struggled to find his mark early on as both of his initial attempts ended in red flags. With his Commonwealth Games journey on the line, the Indian jumper produced his best effort just when it was needed most. His final leap of 16.26m gave the valid distance on the board, climbing to third place overall and officially earning India the second runner-up in the tournament.

Although none of the Indian athletes reached the automatic standard of 16.60m, their final results of 16.41m and 16.26m were easily enough to place them second and third overall, underscoring the strength that India currently possesses.

The men’s triple jump final is scheduled for August 1, where both Praveen and Selva will look to convert their qualifying success into podium finishes and medals for India.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

30 Jul 2026 18:22 IST