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India's athletics campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games gets underway on Monday, with the spotlight firmly on the men's high jump final featuring a strong Indian contingent.
National record holder Sarvesh Kushare will be joined by former national record holder Tejaswin Shankar and Aadarsh Ram Jothi Shankar in what promises to be a fiercely contested final. All eyes will be on Kushare and Tejaswin, whose rivalry and pedigree make them India's biggest medal hopes in the event, as per Olympics.com. Earlier this month, Sarvesh Kushare surpassed Tejaswin Shankar's eight-year-old national record with a remarkable 2.31m jump in Bhubaneswar. He heads into Glasgow 2026 in strong form, having secured a third-place finish at the Monaco Diamond League. Although Shankar has shifted his focus towards the decathlon in recent years, he remains one of India's leading athletes. He also holds a special place in Commonwealth Games history, having won bronze in the men's high jump at Birmingham 2022, India's only medal in the event at the CWG. Another national record holder, Tejas Shirse, will begin his men's 110m hurdles campaign in the heats, with the final also scheduled later in the day if he progresses. On the track, 100m national record holder Gurindervir Singh will feature in the opening round, while Commonwealth Games 2022 silver medallist Murali Sreeshankar will spearhead India's long jump challenge in the qualifying event alongside compatriot Lokesh Sathyanathan. Beyond athletics, India will also have three weightlifting medal contenders in action at the SEC Armadillo. Gyaneshwari Yadav (women's 53kg), Birmingham 2022 silver medallist Bindyarani Devi (women's 58kg), and Valluri Ajaya Babu (men's 79kg) will look to secure podium finishes in their respective finals. In artistic gymnastics, Protistha Samanta will compete in the women's vault final at The Arena, while Olympian Pranati Nayak has been named as a reserve. Swathish KP is also listed as a reserve for the men's rings final. India's boxers will be in action across four round-of-16 bouts, with Sachin Siwach (men's 60kg), Ankush (men's 80kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (women's 51kg), and Sumit Kundu (men's 70kg) set to step into the ring. Sakshi faces a tough challenge against Botswana's Lethabo Modukanele, a former Commonwealth Games medallist. In swimming, Olympian Sajan Prakash will compete in the men's 200m butterfly final, while Aryan Nehra will feature in the men's 800m freestyle final. Para swimmer Swatik Patil will also take the pool in the men's SB9 100m breaststroke event. India's para athletes will be aiming for podium finishes in the women's F57 shot put and men's T38 100m events. In bowls, Putul Sonowal will conclude his sectional campaign against Kenya's Anwar Hamada after his hopes of reaching the semi-finals were ended on Sunday. (ANI)
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