Glasgow, Jul 28: Sharmila Dhankar scripted history by becoming India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games para-athletics gold medallist, while high jumper Sarvesh Kushare and weightlifters Valluri Ajaya Babu and Gyaneshwari Yadav clinched a silver each, as the country enjoyed a rewarding day in the multi-sport event here.
Sharmila delivered a landmark performance by winning the women’s shot put F57 title with a season-best effort of 9.81m, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in para-athletics at the Games late on Monday night.
Her triumph ended India’s 20-year wait for a para-athletics medal at the Games. The last para athletics medal in CWG was won by Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan in the men’s seated Discus Throw event in the 2006 edition.
The F57 classification is for athletes with lower limb impairments, limb deficiencies or reduced muscle power.
Soon after, national record holder Kushare created history by becoming the first Indian to win a silver medal in the men’s high jump at the Games.
The 31-year-old cleared 2.25m before narrowly missing out on gold on countback to Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford after both failed to clear 2.28m. England’s Jack Kimani took bronze with 2.20m.
Kushare improved upon the bronze won by Tejaswin Shankar in Birmingham four years ago, which had been India’s only medal in the event. Tejaswin, who also competed on Monday, retired after failing to clear 2.05m in his opening attempt as a precaution ahead of the decathlon beginning later this week. Adarsh Ram finished fifth with 2.15m.
Lifters continue dominant run
Weightlifting continued to be India’s richest source of medals as 21-year-old Valluri Ajaya Babu clinched silver in the men’s 79kg category after a gripping duel with Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad.
The Andhra Pradesh lifter totalled 330kg (149kg snatch and 181kg clean and jerk), narrowly missing the gold by a kilogram after Hidayat finished with a Games record total of 331kg (147kg and 184kg). The duo repeatedly rewrote the Games records during an enthralling clean and jerk contest before the Malaysian sealed victory with his final lift.
Ajaya Babu’s silver took India’s weightlifting tally to six medals at the Games.
India had already enjoyed a productive day on Monday with Gyaneshwari Yadav winning silver in the women’s 53kg event and Bindyarani Devi adding a bronze in the 58kg class.
Gyaneshwari produced career-best lifts to total 199kg (88kg and 111kg), finishing behind Nigeria’s Onome Omolola Didih, who rewrote the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games records with a total of 206kg.
Bindyarani fought hard but had to settle for bronze after finishing with 199kg (87kg and 112kg), while Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal stormed to a record-breaking gold.
Boxers inch closer to medals
The Indian boxers also kept themselves firmly in medal contention with Sachin Siwach, Ankush and Sakshi Chaudhary advancing to the quarterfinals of their respective categories.
Former world youth champion Sachin defeated England’s William Hewitt 4-1 in the men’s 60kg division and will next meet Botswana’s Treasure Moremi for a place in the semifinals.
Ankush outclassed Jan Zalaan of Antigua and Barbuda 5-0 in the men’s 80kg category to set up a quarterfinal against Seychelles’ Jade Micock, while former world youth and junior champion Sakshi registered a unanimous 5-0 win over Botswana’s Lethabo Modukanele in the women’s 51kg event and will face Northern Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers next.
However, Sumit bowed out after losing a closely-fought men’s 70kg round of 16 contest 1-4 on split decision to Northern Ireland’s Jon McConnell.
Fastest man Gurindervir disappoints
In athletics earlier in the day, national record holder Gurindervir Singh endured a disappointing outing after crashing out of the men’s 100m heats.
The 25-year-old, who came into the Games with a personal best of 10.09 seconds and hopes of becoming the first Indian to break the 10-second barrier, clocked 10.39 seconds to finish 28th overall and miss the semifinals.
Meanwhile, national record holder Tejas Shirse became the first Indian to qualify for the men’s 110m hurdles final at the Games but finished last in the medal race after sustaining an injury.
The 24-year-old Shirse finished third in Heat 1 with a time of 13.76 seconds and made it to the final at sixth place overall.
However, in the final later in the evening, an injured Shirse could only manage 15.39 seconds to finish eighth and last. His national record stands at 13.27 seconds.
“In the warm up, I suffered a Navicular stress fracture in my left leg. I didn’t want to pull out so I told my physio to tape it,” Shirse told PTI after the race.
“I am the first Indian to qualify for the 110m hurdles final in the CWG, so I didn’t want to let the whole nation down (by pulling out),” he added.
No success in pool
There was little joy in the pool as two-time Olympian Sajan Prakash and Aryan Nehra both finished eighth in their respective finals.
Prakash clocked 1:58.05 in the men’s 200m butterfly final, while Nehra returned a time of 8:07.26 in the men’s 800m freestyle final.
In para swimming, Swatik Patil finished fifth in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 event with a timing of 1:15.82.
