CWG 2026: Sharmila scripts history as India win six medals on best day yet in Glasgow

India produced its strongest performance of the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Day 5 in Glasgow, collecting six medals across para athletics, weightlifting and athletics. Sharmila Dhankar led the charge with a historic gold in the women's shot put F57, while India also added four silver and two bronze medals to take its overall tally to 10.

Sharmila creates history as para athletics delivers golden moment

India's biggest highlight of the day came in para athletics, where Sharmila Dhankar won gold in the women's shot put F57 with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres. The effort made her India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medallist in para athletics.

India's celebrations grew further after Shilpa K. Shyla was elevated from fourth place to bronze following the disqualification of Nigeria's Eucharia Iyiazi. The result gave India its first double podium finish of the Glasgow Games. Ghana's Zinabu Issah secured silver with a best throw of 8.65 metres.

Indian athletics also celebrated another milestone as national record holder Sarvesh Kushare became the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games silver medal in the men's high jump. Kushare cleared 2.25 metres but narrowly missed gold on countback to Jamaica's Romaine Beckford, who cleared the same height with fewer failed attempts. England's Kimani Jack claimed bronze with 2.20 metres.

Weightlifters continue medal surge

Weightlifting remained India's most successful discipline, contributing three more medals and taking the country's tally in the sport to six.

Gyaneshwari Yadav opened India's account for the day with a silver medal in the women's 53kg category on her Commonwealth Games debut. The 23-year-old, who moved up from the 49kg division to accommodate Olympic champion Mirabai Chanu, lifted a personal-best combined total of 199kg, comprising 88kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk. She successfully completed all six attempts and briefly held the Commonwealth Games clean and jerk record before Nigeria's Onome Omolola Didih broke it on the way to winning gold with a Games-record total of 206kg.

Bindyarani Devi added a bronze medal in the women's 58kg event, earning her second successive Commonwealth Games medal after claiming silver in Birmingham four years earlier. The Manipuri lifter finished with a total of 199kg, lifting 87kg in the snatch and 112kg in the clean and jerk. Nigeria's Rafiatu Folashade Lawal successfully defended her title with a Games-record total of 229kg, while Canada's Ann Sophie Taschereau secured silver with 215kg.

India narrowly missed another gold in the men's 79kg category as Valluri Ajaya Babu settled for silver. The 22-year-old from Andhra Pradesh set a Commonwealth Games snatch record of 149kg before ending with a combined total of 330kg. Malaysia's Muhammad Erry Hidayat clinched gold with 331kg after a Games-record clean and jerk lift of 184kg, while Scotland's Chris Murray took bronze with 325kg.

Boxers impress as India reach 10-medal mark

India continued to register encouraging performances across multiple disciplines.

Long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Lokesh Satyanathan qualified for the men's long jump final with jumps of 8.01 metres and 7.77 metres respectively.

Tejas Shirse progressed to the men's 110m hurdles final after clocking 13.76 seconds in the heats but finished last in the medal race. Gurindervir Singh's campaign ended in the men's 100m heats after finishing 28th overall with a timing of 10.39 seconds.

In swimming, Olympian Sajan Prakash reached the men's 200m butterfly final before finishing eighth, while Aryan Nehra placed seventh in the men's 800m freestyle final. Para swimmer Swatik Patil qualified for the men's 100m breaststroke SB9 final and eventually finished fifth.

India's boxing contingent maintained its impressive run as Sachin Siwach defeated England's William Hewitt 4-1 in the men's 60kg round of 16. Ankush registered a dominant 5-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda's Zalaan Jan in the men's 80kg category, while Sakshi Choudhary beat Botswana's Lethabo Modukanele 5-0 in the women's 51kg event. Sumit Kundu, however, exited after losing to Northern Ireland's Jon McConnell in the men's 70kg round of 16.

Elsewhere, Protistha Samanta finished seventh in the women's vault final in artistic gymnastics, while Putul Sonowal lost to Kenya's Anwar Hamada in the men's singles sectional play in bowls.

At the end of Day 5, India had won 10 medals — two gold, five silver and three bronze. The country's 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).

(With inputs from ANI)