Commonwealth Games 2026 Day 2 Round-Up: India’s Medals and Highlights (24 July)
India opened its medal account on the second day of the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, with para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar landing on the podium and boxing star Lovlina Borgohain securing a guaranteed medal without throwing a punch. Friday, 24 July was a steady rather than spectacular day for the Indian contingent, but it delivered the country’s first hardware of the Games and set up a busy weekend ahead.
India’s medals on Day 2
India’s first medal of Glasgow 2026 arrived in the para powerlifting hall. Jhandu Kumar claimed bronze in the men’s heavyweight final, finishing with 130.9 points off a best lift of 190kg. It was a composed, confidence-building result in a discipline where India has grown steadily competitive on the Commonwealth stage.
There was more good news from the boxing ring — or rather, from the draw sheet. Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain was assured of at least a bronze medal in the women’s 75kg category after receiving a bye straight into the semi-finals. With only five entries in her weight class and both losing semi-finalists guaranteed bronze under Commonwealth Games rules, Lovlina is on the podium before she has even boxed. She fights Tarona Taafaki in the semi-final on 31 July, with a place in the gold-medal bout at stake.
| Medal | Athlete | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Jhandu Kumar | Para powerlifting, men’s heavyweight | 130.9 points; best lift 190kg |
| Bronze (assured) | Lovlina Borgohain | Boxing, women’s 75kg | Guaranteed medal via semi-final bye; semi-final 31 July |
Notable Indian performances
India’s lawn bowlers kept their promising campaign rolling. In the men’s singles sectional play, Putul Sonowal edged Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands 7-5, 8-6, 1-0 in a nervy tie-break to make it two wins from two and strengthen his push for the knockout stage. In the women’s pairs, the experienced duo of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh saw off South Africa 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) to stay unbeaten and firmly in contention.
In the pool, there were near-misses and encouraging swims rather than medals. In para swimming, RVVBK Budigina touched third in his men’s 100m freestyle S13 heat to progress to the final, while Ali Imam qualified in eighth. On the able-bodied side, Srihari Nataraj finished fifth in his 50m backstroke heat and 14th overall, narrowly outside the reckoning. It was a day of laying foundations for India’s swimmers as the heats programme built momentum.
Global highlights
The swimming pool produced the day’s marquee moments. Australia extended their dominance in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, winning a fifth straight Commonwealth title in a Games-record 3:09.49. South Africa’s sprinters lit up the semi-finals: reigning champion Pieter Coetze reset his own Games record in the men’s 50m backstroke, while Michael Houlie clocked a rapid Games-record split en route to the men’s 100m breaststroke final. Team South Africa also opened their account courtesy of para-swimmer Nathan Hendricks.
The blue-riband athletics programme, which will bring world mile record holder Josh Kerr and a stacked track-and-field field to Scotland later in the Games, is still to come — meaning the biggest names on the track are yet to take centre stage. For a fuller look at that field, see our preview of the Glasgow 2026 athletics line-up.
Looking ahead to Day 3
Saturday, 25 July shapes up as a quieter day on paper for India, with medals dependent on final qualification. Olympian Pranati Nayak leads a four-strong women’s artistic gymnastics team — alongside Nishka Agarwal, Protistha Samanta and Eshitaa Rewale — chasing apparatus and team-event places. In the pool, Dhakshan Shashikumar and Aryan Nehra go in the men’s 400m freestyle heats, eyeing a spot in the evening final. Boxer Sachin Siwach opens his men’s 60kg campaign against Canada’s Keoma Al-Ahmadieh, while the bowls contingent of Tirkey, Singh and Sonowal returns to the greens. India’s women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball team also makes its Commonwealth Games debut against Wales.
For the bigger picture on India’s campaign, revisit our Glasgow 2026 curtain-raiser on India’s 126-strong squad and our preview of India’s medal hopes in the field events. You can also track the full standings on our Sports Rankings & Standings hub.
All results verified against multiple outlets including Olympics.com and ESPN. Medal-bout schedules are subject to change; assured medals are confirmed under Commonwealth Games boxing rules.