CWG: Sensational Animesh Kujur marches into 200m semis, Toor-Gill reaches shot put final

India enjoyed another encouraging day on track and field at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday as sprinter Animesh Kujur stormed into the semi-finals of the men’s 200m with a season-best performance, while veteran shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and rising star Samardeep Singh Gill also advanced to the final.

Commonwealth Games 2026, July 29 update

After India’s fastest man Gurindervir Singh suffered disappointment in the men’s 100m earlier in the Games, Kujur stepped up when it mattered. The 23-year-old produced a brilliant ride in Round 1 to clock a personal best of 20.46 seconds to top heat 4. At the end of all heats, the Indian sprinter finished seventh overall, comfortably securing a place in the semi-finals and keeping India’s hopes alive in the sprints. Courtesy: CWG 2026

The performance was another reminder of Kujur’s rapid progress over the past year. After establishing himself as one of India’s premier sprinters, he showed composure against a strong field and now heads into the semi-finals with growing confidence.

TOOR LEADS DOUBLE PLEASURE IN INDIA IN RELATIONSHIP

India also celebrated double qualification in men’s shot put. National record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor achieved automatic qualification after clearing the 20m mark with his second throw.

Toor opened with an effort of 19.93m before improving to 20.14m, comfortably clearing the qualifying standard. His throw was the second best overall behind defending Commonwealth Games champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand, who led the qualifiers with 21.03m. Toor, confident of his place in the final, opted not to attempt his third attempt.

Samardeep Singh Gill, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on automatic qualification but still advanced after finishing in the top 12. The 25-year-old registered 19.95m on his opening throw, followed by 19.75m before hitting his final attempt. His best performance earned him fifth place overall in the two qualifying groups.

With Kujur leading India’s sprint challenge and both Toor and Gill reaching the shot put final, the Indian contingent will be hoping to convert Wednesday’s strong qualifying performances into medals in the coming days in Glasgow.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

Jul 29, 2026 5:53 PM IST