CWG 2026 July 28 Cover: Gulveer’s landmark 10,000m silver leads India’s strong day

Gulveer Singh’s historic long-distance silver and Harjinder Kaur’s weightlifting audacity were the stars of India’s July 28 campaign at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Apart from two official podium finishes, the Indian contingent also secured three guaranteed boxing medals as three fighters advanced to the semi-finals. CWG Day 5 Highlights

Scotland’s late-night surge took India’s medal tally to 12, comprising two gold, seven silver and three bronze medals, keeping the nation firmly in the top 10 (nine) of the medal standings.

HISTORICAL HISTORICAL 10,000m GULVEER SILVER

Gulveer Singh won silver in the 10,000m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (Photo by Reuters)

The decisive performance of the day belonged to 26-year-old Gulveer Singh who performed the landmark in the men’s 10,000m final at the Alexander Stadium track. Gulveer, working in the unforgiving Scottish rain, executed a calculated race tactic and remained tucked away in the lead for most of the 25-lap contest.

As the bell rang for the final 400 metres, Australia’s Ky Robinson made the decisive surge for gold. Gulveer produced a blistering last-lap sprint and charged down the home straight to cross the line in 27:49.78 to claim the silver medal. Isle of Man’s David Mullarkey took bronze.

Gulveer Singh makes history by becoming the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s 10,000m with a brilliant silver finish.

Watch Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 LIVE & EXCLUSIVE on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV TV channels.#SonySportsNetwork pic.twitter.com/6VIXZysfBJ— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 28, 2026

Gulveer’s efforts made him the first Indian athlete in the history of the Commonwealth Games to win a long-distance medal. In a historic move for an event at the Games, no African runner has reached the podium for the first time since 1986, marking a shift in the long-distance event.

HARJINDER KAUR LIFTS THE SILVER

Harjinder Kaur in weightlifting (PTI Photo)

India’s weightlifting dominance continued at the SEC Center with Birmingham 2022 bronze medalist Harjinder Kaur improving her hardware to silver in the women’s 69kg category.

Harjinder recorded a total lift of 221kg, snatched 101kg before executing a decisive 120kg clean and jerk under immense pressure. Her calmness secured India’s seventh medal in weightlifting of the Glasgow Olympics, cementing the discipline as the foundation of the country’s multi-sport success.

Canada’s 21-year-old Charlotte Simoneau claimed the gold medal with a Games record, while Australia’s Olivia Hayman secured the bronze.

BOXING: THREE MEDALS GUARANTEED

With the losing semi-finalists in Commonwealth Games boxing automatically getting bronze medals, the Indian boxing contingent enjoyed a crucial quarter-final round on July 28 where they won at least three guaranteed medals.

Three young boxers confirmed their medals on Tuesday.

Men’s 55kg: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam

Jadumani SIngh storms into boxing semi-finals (PTI Photo)

In the bantamweight quarter-finals, Jadumani Singh Mandengbam put on a tactical clinic against Zambia’s Mwengo Mwale. Mandengbam controlled the distance with sharp jabs and sharp counters in all three rounds, sweeping the judges’ scorecards to earn a unanimous decision and secure a place in the semi-finals.

Women under 60kg: Priya Ghanghas

Priya Ghanghas faced a hostile home crowd when she stepped into the ring against Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell. Ghanghas showed no signs of fidgeting and dominated the inside exchanges, using heavy body shots and upper body moves to overpower Mitchell, winning clearly and confirming her place on the podium.

Women’s 54kg: Preeti Pawar

World No. 3 Preeti Pawar continued her steady run at bantamweight, combining striking combinations and quick footwork to box out her quarter-final opponent and advance to the final four.

DISAPPOINTMENT IN TOP WEIGHTS

The evening session was not without obstacles. In the women’s 65kg quarter-finals, Parveen Hooda suffered a tough unanimous loss to England’s top seed Sacha Hickey. Shortly after, hard-hitting Kapil Pokhariya exited the men’s 90kg competition after a 5-0 defeat against Scotland’s Robert McNulty.

OTHER RESULTS AT A GLANCE

Apart from medal events, Indian athletes experienced mixed results in athletics, field and pool events:

High jump: In the women’s high jump final, Pooja Singh, who broke the national record this year, finished eighth after clearing 1.77m. The competition was severely interrupted by an hour-long downpour and Singh was unable to convert her three attempts at 1.82m on the restart.

Sprint heats: Vishal TK impressed in the heats of the men’s 400 mav heat 6 with a solid performance to advance to the semi-finals. However, national teammate Rajesh Ramesh failed to advance after finishing third in his heat.

Swimming: Srihari Nataraj bowed out in the semi-finals of the men’s 100m breaststroke. Nataraj touched the wall in 55.52 seconds in his heat, placing 12th overall in both semi-finals and missing out on the eight-man final. Olympian Sajan Prakash also performed during the men’s 50m butterfly heats.

Lawn Bowls: Seasoned bowler Nayanmoni Saikia lost the C section women’s singles against Wales’ Amy Williams in straight sets (8-7, 10-1).

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

29 Jul 2026 04:49 IST