Commonwealth Games Day 4: Mirabai Chanu wins gold for third straight time

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu made history at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026 when she struck gold in the women's 48-kilogram (kg) final. Her feat in Glasgow, Scotland, saw her clinch the yellow metal for the third successive time in the CWG, after the 2018 edition in Gold Coast, Australia, and 2022 in Birmingham, UK. She won a silver in Glasgow in the 2014 CWG.

The medal, India's first in the current edition, saw it go to seventh position from 10th, with a total tally of three: a gold, a silver and a bronze. Australia were leading the table with 12 golds, five silvers and seven bronzes.

Earlier, the Olympic silver medallist lifted the 85 kg — also a CWG record — in the snatch to reach a commanding position.

India also won their second medal of the competition the same day with Chanambam Rishikanta Singh winning silver in the men's 60-kg category. He was adjudged second after he was unable to lift his all-or-nothing lift of 151 kg and managed a combined weight of 264 kgs across the snatch and clean and jerk events.

Also read: Glasgow Commonwealth Games: India eyes strong start despite reduced medal prospects

The 27-year-old weightlifter, who broke the Commonwealth Games record in the snatch event with a lift of 121 kg, could manage to lift only 143 kgs on his only successful clean and jerk attempt.

Separately, swimmers Srihari Nataraj, Aryan Nehra, Aneesh Gowda, and Dhakshan Shashikumar qualified for the men's 4x200m freestyle relay final.

Borgohain ensured a medal

Pugilist Lovlina Borgohain was also ensured a medal as she was placed directly in the semifinals of her 75-kg event following a bye in the quarter-final.

India's first medal came on Friday (July 24), the second day of the Games, when Jhandu Kumar won bronze in the men's heavyweight para powerlifting category.

Earlier in the day on Sunday, women’s lawn bowl pair comprising Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh suffered their first defeat at the Games after losing to Namibia’s Amanda Steenkamp and Diana Viljoen in a Group B match. They, however, can still qualify for the semifinals in the women’s pairs.

All eyes on Neeraj

With athletics beginning Monday (July 27), Olympian Neeraj Chopra will be up against reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka in a marquee men's javelin clash.

Besides Chopra, other Indian gold medal contenders are long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, a silver medallist at the 2022 CWG in Birmingham, and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, who recently set the national record of 2.31m.

Also read: Neeraj Chopra scripts golden history at World Athletics Championships

The Indian team management is hoping for two medals each in men's javelin, long jump, high jump and triple jump, besides podium finishes in men's 10,000m, decathlon and women's 10,000m race walk.

The men's 100m hurdles and shot put as well as women's 3000m steeplechase may also fetch India medals, which could take the haul past the eight (1 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) won last time in Birmingham.

India, who are currently ranked 10th in the medal list with two medals, will look for yet another successful CWG outing after their 2022 mission in Birmingham, UK, that fetched 61 medals. However, India have sent a comparatively smaller contingent to the current edition, which is a trimmed edition with many disciplines excluded and that could see a reduced tally.

The CWG 2026 continues till August 2.