Sports
oi-Madhuri Adnal
India produced one of its best performances yet at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Day 5, bringing home six medals, including a historic gold for Sharmila Dhankar. The para shot putter etched her name in the record books by becoming India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games para-athletics gold medallist, while the country’s athletes continued their impressive medal-winning run across multiple disciplines.
Competing in the women’s shot put F57 event, Sharmila produced a season-best throw of 9.81m to clinch the gold medal. Her victory also ended India’s 20-year wait for a medal in para-athletics at the Commonwealth Games. The F57 category is meant for athletes with lower limb impairments, limb deficiencies or reduced muscle power.
On Day 5 of the Commonwealth Games 2026, India won six medals, including Sharmila Dhankar’s historic para shot put gold. Sarvesh Kushare (silver, high jump), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), and Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, shot put) added to the tally, bringing India’s total to 10 medals (2 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze).
Sarvesh Kushare added another medal to India’s tally by winning silver in the men’s high jump. The Indian athlete cleared 2.25m in the final and put up a strong fight before falling short at 2.28m in all three attempts. Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford took the gold medal, while Kushare settled for a well-earned silver.
India’s weightlifters continued their impressive run at the Games. Valluri Ajaya Babu won silver in the men’s 79kg category, missing out on gold by just 1kg to Malaysia’s Muhammad Erry Hidayat. Gyaneshwari Yadav, making her Commonwealth Games debut, also finished with a silver medal in the women’s 53kg event and opened India’s medal account for the day.
There was more good news for India in the women’s shot put F57 event as Shilpa K. Shyla secured bronze after a review of the competition led to Nigerian athlete Eucharia Iyiazi’s mark being disqualified. The decision came after a post-event protest, moving Shilpa into the medal positions.
At the end of Day 5, India’s medal tally stood at 10 – two gold, five silver and three bronze medals. The Indian medallists so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold), Sharmila Dhankar (gold), Rishikanta Singh (silver), Muthupandi Raja (silver), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver), Sarvesh Kushare (silver), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver), Bindyarani Devi (bronze), Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze).
