India’s star athlete Tejaswin Shankar added another medal to his country’s illustrious performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Tejaswin brought India pride by winning the bronze medal in the decathlon event held in Glasgow. He received congratulations from sports fans and across the country for his achievement.
The decathlon is considered one of the most challenging athletics events, requiring athletes to demonstrate their strength in 10 different events. Tejaswin Shankar performed consistently throughout the competition, finishing third overall and taking home the bronze medal.
Four days ago, I was crying in the stadium.
Four days ago, Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar sat on his knees in a corner of the stadium, trying to hold back tears. An old knee injury had resurfaced after his first attempt in the high jump. It seemed his Commonwealth Games campaign had turned into a nightmare before it even began. But on Friday evening, in the same stadium, the decathlon bronze medal was shining around his neck. The smile on his face reflected the journey from despair to disbelief to historic success in just a few days.
Why is the victory special?
Tejaswin had also arrived in Glasgow with the intention of winning a medal in the high jump. Four years earlier, he had created history by winning India’s first Commonwealth medal in the same event. This time, after his first attempt, an old knee injury resurfaced, and he had to withdraw from the competition. The tears that flowed from his eyes were more a sign of defeat than pain. He said, “If I had been alone at that time, I might have given up on everything.” He also said, “When I was crying there, I felt like a year had been wasted.”
How did Tejaswin motivate himself?
Tejaswin, who won the high jump bronze medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, won a medal in the decathlon, a completely different event. He said this makes it even more special. He said, “Last time I won bronze in the high jump, now I’ve got it in the decathlon. I don’t know how many athletes can do this.” When asked why he decided to participate in the decathlon along with the high jump, he smiled and said, “This heart wants more, I want to do more. The high jump is good, but if you can do more, why not? I believe that when you can push yourself, why stop?”
How did you win the lost game?
Before this historic achievement, there was a moment that completely broke him. After being eliminated from the high jump, Tejaswin was in despair when long jump star Murali Sreeshankar reached out to him. Having fought back from serious injuries and made a comeback, Sreeshankar understood well the mental state his teammate was going through. Tejaswin said, “After the high jump, when I was completely broken, Sreeshankar was the only person who came to me.”
He said, “At that time, if I was going to listen to anyone’s advice, it was only him. He too had the same injury, but a much more serious one than mine. Today, he is jumping again with almost a new leg.”
Sreeshankar advised him to focus on each event instead of thinking about the tough two-day decathlon competition. Tejaswin said, “He told me to focus on just one event at a time. First, go out for the 100m, warm up. If your body doesn’t feel well, stop there.” Tejaswin said, “Sreeshankar is one of the biggest reasons behind my success. His words kept echoing in my mind.”