The Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign witnessed a mix of heartbreak and gritty performances for the Indian contingent as several top-tier athletes struggled to secure podium finishes. National record holder Animesh Kujur failed to advance in the sprint events, while seasoned shot put stars Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill missed out on medals despite high expectations. Meanwhile, weightlifter Martina Devi Maibam put up a commendable fight in the heavyweight division, rounding off a challenging day for Indian athletics and weightlifting.
Animesh Kujur Crashes Out Of 200m Semi-Finals
National record holder Animesh Kujur endured a tough outing in the 200m semi-finals, crossing the finish line sixth in his heat with a timing of 20.65 seconds. Kujur fell considerably short of his personal best of 20.32 seconds and failed to break into the top eight runners required for the final showdown. Ghana’s Joseph Paul Amoah dominated the heat with a stellar timing of 20.24 seconds to secure his qualification, leaving the young Indian sprinter searching for redemption in future international events.
Shot Put Hopes Dash As Toor And Gill Finish Outside Medals
India’s primary medal hopes in the men’s shot put final, veteran athlete Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill, faced stiff global competition and missed out on podium spots. Toor managed a best throw of 20.27 meters to finish fifth among the 12 finalists, while Gill secured the seventh position with a throw of 20.03 meters. Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi clinched the gold medal with an impressive 21.07m throw, followed by New Zealand’s Tom Walsh with silver at 21.03m and England’s Scott Lincoln taking bronze with 20.99m.
Martina Devi Shows Grit To Finish Fifth In Women’s Weightlifting
In weightlifting action, Martina Devi Maibam demonstrated immense resilience to finish fifth in the intensely competitive women’s +86kg category. Totaling 245kg overall, Martina overcame early jitters in the snatch event where she missed her first two attempts at 103kg before successfully lifting 105kg in her final try to stay in the medal hunt. She carried this momentum into the clean and jerk round, successfully hoisting 140kg in her opening attempt, though subsequent aggressive bids at 144kg and 146kg fell short, sealing a respectable fifth-place finish.